ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Adeola's picture book aims to lift up and encourage Black children to understand their potential, express their creativity, and to follow their dreams. Affirming phrases, such as "You are wonderful" and "You always have a choice," appear throughout, providing great self-esteem boosts for children. Smaller text accompanies these statements, acknowledging unpleasant truths along with the positive. For instance, "Love your beautiful skin" is followed by "Some people believe that one skin color is better than another. But they are wrong. Every skin color has its own unique beauty." The illustrations were created by 18 different Black artists (mini biographies are appended), each of whom has their own two-page spread. The images are vibrant and showcase the illustrators' varied styles, as well as a range of scenes that include joyful moments between young children and their parents, teens showing pride in their heritage and culture, and young adults participating in a Black Lives Matter protest. The collaborative feel of this book lends itself to classroom use, but families will also appreciate the inspiring messages in the book's pages.

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

I hope that you know you are loved...always. // ...I hope that you never lose sight of the wonder that is you...even though the world won't always let you see it.

Kirkus Reviews

A sincere ode to Black childhood.Nineteen Black artists-including author Adeola-from the United Kingdom, Nigeria, the Bahamas, and the United States, among other countries, collaborated to create the exuberant and varied illustrations that accompany this celebration of growing up Black. The focus is on Black children, though several White children appear on a few pages as classmates or spectators. The book was written in response to the global protests following the murder of George Floyd. Adeola was motivated by the question, "What might have been different had I felt more confident and assured in my skin at a younger age-if I'd seen my story told?" His uplifting text is bookended by images of beautiful Black babies. In between, he imparts life lessons, urging Black children to "be curious" and "keep searching" while assuring them that "happiness, love and laughter will find you on your journey." An illustration by Chanté Timothy shows a Black girl imagining herself as an astronaut, a soccer player, a singer, a veterinarian, a doctor, a judge, and a chemist. Bex Glendining's purple sunlight–infused picture of teens in a school corridor accompanies the message, "Express your culture and heritage-even if it makes some people uncomfortable...." Backmatter includes brief bios of the artists, each identified by a portion of their illustration, and of the 13 men and women in Onyinye Iwu's depiction of seven Black children quite literally standing on the shoulders of Black trailblazers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Heartfelt, hopeful, and honest. (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal (Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2021)

Gr 14 An affirmation of Black talent, creativity. and achievement, this title features the work of 19 Black illustrators including the author, who was inspired by the events of 2020 and a desire to see the young people of the Black diaspora believe in themselves and their dreams. The challenge and the pride in being Black is the focus of the text: "You share your magical melanin with countless generations of geniuses, creators, leaders and great thinkers." While the illustrations come from a collective effort, they flow successfully from page to page while honoring the diversity of the Black experience in all its beautiful hair styles, skin tones, and body shapes. This title stands out for its call to young readers to embrace their ancestral past and set high expectations for themselves and their future endeavors. VERDICT Bright, diverse illustrations honor the past and affirm a bright future for Black children called to live out their dreams, whatever they may be, in this highly recommended book. John Scott, Baltimore Cty. P.S.