Hannah-Jones, Nikole and Renée Watson. Born on the Water. Nikkolas Smith, Illus. Picture Book. The 1619 Project Series. Kokila, 11/2021. [48]pp. $18.99. 978-0-593-30735-9. OUTSTANDING. GRADES K-4.
A young Black girl is assigned to create a family tree in school, but she can only trace her family history back to her greatgrandparents. She tells her grandmother, who responds with a beautiful tale told in verse about her ancestors in West Central Africa. One of the many exceptional qualities of the book is that we learn more about the wisdom and capabilities of her ancestors before slavery is ever mentioned. The emotionally rich illustrations appear to be paintings with fantastic use of color, texture, and exaggeration to heighten the mood of each page. Notes from the authors and illustrator in the back matter add enhanced context. This is a great book for parents and teachers alike to share with kids.
Eny Calvert, San Francisco Public