Status
Available
Publication
Nancy Paulsen Books (2022), 32 pages
Library's review
An intergenerational family story of freedom.
A girl with a big, curly Afro and her little brother, both light brown–skinned, live in a high-rise city apartment building. Because of stormy summer weather, they must stay inside. As a remedy for boredom and bickering, their grandmother advises them
An uplifting story that will inspire kids, especially brown girls and boys, to dream. (Picture book. 4-8)
-Kirkus Review
A girl with a big, curly Afro and her little brother, both light brown–skinned, live in a high-rise city apartment building. Because of stormy summer weather, they must stay inside. As a remedy for boredom and bickering, their grandmother advises them
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to “use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours.” And they do, throughout all four seasons of the year. Colorful butterflies and a vibrant little bird that often appear flying around the siblings represent their freedom, which is only ever as far away as an open book or the doorways of their imaginations. López illustrates the inside of the family’s apartment with drab, muted colors that emphasize the children’s confinement. In contrast, the outdoor scenes, illustrated primarily in pastels, exude luminosity and convey the youngsters’ exuberance. Rather than being selfish with their ability to fly, the sister and brother share it with the neighborhood kids. The protagonist/narrator shares that her grandmother learned to fly from “the people who came before,” who were “brought here on huge ships, / their wrists and ankles cuffed in iron.” This recalls Virginia Hamilton’s legend of The People Who Could Fly (1985), referenced by López in one illustration and discussed by Woodson in her author’s note. Some readers will notice an intertextual reference to the pair’s previous title, The Day You Begin (2018).The ebullient mixed-media artwork explodes with color and extends the richness of the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)An uplifting story that will inspire kids, especially brown girls and boys, to dream. (Picture book. 4-8)
-Kirkus Review
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Awards
Kirkus Prize (Finalist — Young Readers' Literature — 2022)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (Picture Books — 2022)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades K-2 — 2023)
Ohioana Book Award (Finalist — Juvenile Literature — 2023)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — Primary — 2024)
Heartland Booksellers Award (Finalist — Picture Book — 2022)
Iowa Goldfinch Award (Nominee — 2024)
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Nominee — Children — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2022)
Nerdy Book Award (2022)
Great Books for Kids (2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022
ISBN
0399545530 / 9780399545535
Other editions
The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson (Hardcover)