Review - I Don't Care

I Don't Care
by Julie Fogliano
illustrated by Molly Idle & Juana Martinez-Neal
Date: 2022
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A New York Times bestselling author and two Caldecott Honorees share their delight in the little things that set two friends apart, and the big things that bring them together.

I really don't care what you think of my hair
Or my eyes or my toes or my nose
I really don't care what you think of my boots
Or if you don't like my clothes. . .

Mostly I care that you're you and I'm me
And I care that we're us and we're we.

This rhythmic, rhyming text by award-winning author Julie Fogliano celebrates the similarities and differences between two unlikely best friends. It will be illustrated by two recent Caldecott Honorees, each depicting one of the characters, Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a cute rhyming picture book about two friends and the things they don't and do care about. It's a great lesson in priorities and concentrating on what's truly important.

The pictures, a collaborative effort between Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal, are adorable.

Recommended to those looking for simple picture books about values.

Premise: 5/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.57 out of 5

Review - Alma and How She Got Her Name

Alma and How She Got Her Name
by Juana Martinez-Neal
Date: 2018
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

What's in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.

If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a sweet little story about a girl whose father is explaining to her how she got her long and elaborate name.

Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has a lot of names. Too many, she thinks. But as her father sits her down and explains the origin of each part of her name, she finds herself relating to the people she was named after.

Soft colours and sweet illustrations highlight the story. The whole thing is simple, but it works. I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous. As someone whose parents picked her name because they just liked it, I can't really relate to Alma's perceived struggles. But kids who are gifted with names that have great meaning in their family will probably find this story reassuring. You might be named after someone, but you still get to carve out your own path in life.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Review - Fry Bread

Fry Bread
by Kevin Noble Maillard
illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Date: 2019
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 42
Format: e-book
Source: library

Fry bread is food.
It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.

Fry bread is time.
It brings families together for meals and new memories.

Fry bread is nation.
It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.

Fry bread is us.
It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is totally not what I expected. Instead of a simple picture book about about fry bread, it's an introduction to a long author's note. As such, it's a wordy non-fiction title, and not really suitable for storytime.

It's also extremely Americocentric, even while briefly acknowledging that Canada also has native peoples. So Canadian parents who were looking for a book that discusses fry bread and its implications and traditions in an inclusive way will probably want to look elsewhere.

For what it is, it's fine. The information is interesting. The pictures are pleasant to look at. But I'm not a fan of the way the book is laid out. It makes for a long, heavy reading session. In the simple story section at the front, we get a lot of words without much context. That comes later, when each spread of the story is meticulously explained in the author's note. So you'll probably be doing a lot of flipping back and forth. (For a book like this, I think I would've rather preferred the factual information provided within the story itself as sidebars. It would make reading the story out loud to an audience tricky, but I don't know if the story can really stand on its own, anyway.)

Overall, this is decent if you're looking for a quasi-textbook for young readers about Native American traditions and history strictly in the United States. If, however, you're looking for a book that's inclusive of all the Indigenous North American cultures that celebrate fry bread, you'll probably find that this one comes up short.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5