Johnson, Dinah. Indigo Dreaming. Anna Cunha, Illus. Harper, 10/2022. [36]pp. Picture Book. GRADES Kindergarten – 2. $18.99. 978-0-06-308020-1. ADDITIONAL.
A young Black girl who lives on the South Carolina coast wonders if there is “another girl like me, who spends every day beside the sea.” She imagines another girl who also likes peanuts, braids sweetgrass for baskets, and searches for shells. The occasionally rhyming text focuses on her imagination and celebration of the Black diaspora, and the author’s note at the end describes how certain communities have African roots in common. Brazilian artist Cunha creates softly focused illustrations that resemble pastel chalk artwork, showing the young girl and her family living at the beach.
Penny Peck—San Jose State University iSchool