Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Being pigeonholed or restricted limits the multifaceted expressions of humanity.Children blossom with the encouragement to explore and define themselves. But de la Peña and Luyken demonstrate that even before we are born, we are steered to fit into molds that often chafe, from gender-reveal events ("You were blue before you were even born") to the restrictive opinions of educators ("You are the kid perpetually in time-out"). But the freedom to experiment offers many opportunities; a love of dancing might lead to coding or a passion for sports to spinning "couplets on your finger." Whether you discover the transformative power of kindness or harness ideas to pull people to your cause, the infinite choices that form the rich canvas of our lives are empowering. With a nudge here and a turn there, each jolt of awareness reveals the kaleidoscopic expanse of realities within us all. De la Peña's lyrical observations and proclamations take the mind from complacent to questioning to affirming. His gentle guidance from page to page creates a poetry of understanding-we are more than what is expected of us. Luyken depicts a diverse group of children, using a palette of pastel pink, blue, lavender, and yellow and a subtle pattern evoking patchwork on each page to highlight the transformative power of self-discovery. (This book was reviewed digitally.)The call to revel in the glorious patchwork that is "us" blazes forth from this paean of acceptance. (Picture book. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Being pigeonholed or restricted limits the multifaceted expressions of humanity.Children blossom with the encouragement to explore and define themselves. But de la Peña and Luyken demonstrate that even before we are born, we are steered to fit into molds that often chafe, from gender-reveal events ("You were blue before you were even born") to the restrictive opinions of educators ("You are the kid perpetually in time-out"). But the freedom to experiment offers many opportunities; a love of dancing might lead to coding or a passion for sports to spinning "couplets on your finger." Whether you discover the transformative power of kindness or harness ideas to pull people to your cause, the infinite choices that form the rich canvas of our lives are empowering. With a nudge here and a turn there, each jolt of awareness reveals the kaleidoscopic expanse of realities within us all. De la Peña's lyrical observations and proclamations take the mind from complacent to questioning to affirming. His gentle guidance from page to page creates a poetry of understanding-we are more than what is expected of us. Luyken depicts a diverse group of children, using a palette of pastel pink, blue, lavender, and yellow and a subtle pattern evoking patchwork on each page to highlight the transformative power of self-discovery. (This book was reviewed digitally.)The call to revel in the glorious patchwork that is "us" blazes forth from this paean of acceptance. (Picture book. 4-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In a series of poetic vignettes, the creators of this contemplative picture book introduce an array of children whose early traits or talents seem to suggest a determined life path. One, portrayed with brown skin, seems “put on this earth to dance./ We know, we know”; another, who reads as white, is “the kid perpetually in time-out./ We sigh, we sigh.” But the young dancer’s innate rhythm leads to a career as a coder who can “change the way the world moves,” while the class cut-up becomes a life-changing teacher when interacting with “a restless kid like you.” Using hatch marks and quiltlike squares of color, Luyken (Something Good) celebrates the capacity to explore and change: introductory images employ a limited palette, giving way to multihued views of additional depth and dimensionality as the children, portrayed with varying skin tones, mature and transform. In expansive lines, de la Peña (Milo Imagines the World) counters messages of narrowing one’s sights, conveying the heartening idea that lives of meaning emerge, instead, from “mismatched scraps accumulated over time/ and stitched together/ into a kind of patchwork.” Ages 4–8. Agent (for de la Peña and Luyken): Steven Malk, Writers House. (Aug.)

School Library Journal (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 2–4 —A celebration of children and what they may become as successful adults, written by Newbery Medal-winning de la Pe&1;a, beautifully illustrated by Luyken ( The Book of Mistakes ) and also available in Spanish, Retazos. De la Pe&1;a starts Patchwork on a modern note of inclusivity, with a gender reveal party with blue cake filling, which proves all wrong for a child whose paint brush hovers over pink paint and who grows into an artist who loves brown. The book is composed of two- to four-page vignettes that focus on character traits or skills developed in childhood and used in adulthood: math in dance leads to a career in coding, the bouncing of a basketball to the rhythm of poetry, kindness to classmates to a leadership position. Luyken's art reinforces the message of "mismatched scraps stitched together" into a kind of patchwork with pastel squares of color, and includes children of light to dark skin tones with an effective use of white space through gouache, ink, and pencil. While her artwork follows the words of the text, the vignettes are hard to follow. The theme of affirmation is lost as the vignettes abruptly veer from one child to another without an easily understood common denominator. VERDICT The sentiments are lovely but may not land for most children.—Sarah Sieg