November 2024 Stars & Big Picture
Starred titles are books of special distinction. See the archives for selections from previous months.
Baptist, Kelly J. The Band in Our Basement; illustrated by Jenin Mohammed. Abrams, 2024 [40p]
ISBN 9781419769078 $18.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* 4-8 yrs
See this month’s Big Picture, below, for review.
Beatty, Robert Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood. Disney Hyperion, 2024 [320p]
Trade ed. ISBN 9781368007580 $17.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 5-8
Gillen, Kieron We Called Them Giants; illus. by Stephanie Hans. Image Comics, 2024 [104p]
Trade ed. ISBN 9781534387072 $19.99
Reviewed by digital galleys R* Gr. 9-12
Hippely, Hilary Horder I Know How to Draw an Owl; illus. by Matt James. Porter/Holiday House, 2024 [32p]
Trade ed. ISBN 9780823456666 $18.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* 5-8 yrs
Kurpiel, Sarah A Little Like Magic; written and illus. by Sarah Kurpiel. Rocky Pond, 2024 [40p]
Trade ed. ISBN 780593697658 $18.99
E-book ed. ISBN 9780593697665 $10.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* 4-7 yrs
Lamb, Sacha The Forbidden Book. Levine Querido, 2024 [256p]
Trade ed. ISBN 9781646144563 $19.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 10-12
Leahy, Elisa Stone Mallory in Full Color. Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 2024 [320p]
Trade ed. ISBN 9780063255531 $19.99
E-book ed. ISBN 9780063255555 $9.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 6-8
Oliveira, Inês Viegas The Duel: A Story about Peace; written and illus. by Inês Viegas Oliveira; tr. from Portuguese by Rosa Churcher Clarke. Triangle Square, 2024 [56p]
Trade ed. ISBN 9781644214022 $18.95
E-book ed. ISBN 9781644214039 $10.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 2-5
Popescu, Simina Leap. Roaring Brook, 2024 [304p]
Trade ed. ISBN 9781250838292 $24.99
Paper ed. ISBN 9781250838308 $17.99
Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 10-12
The Band in Our Basement
Written by Kelly J. Baptist; illustrated by Jenin Mohammed
Bedtime follows a predictable set of rituals—teeth brushed, pajamas on, tucked in, snoozing—so there’s something daring and adventurous in kids breaking that routine to see the after-hours world of their adults. For the Black siblings in this month’s Big Picture, the irresistible, jazzy music of their father’s band practice draws them out of bed into a nighttime caper filled with the highs and lows of a good song. Baptist centers the children’s wonder and appreciation for their family’s talents, but tucked into this picture book are also notes about communal music, close-knit families, and Black joy.
As Mama tucks the narrator and her brother Kenny into bed, sound drifts up from the basement two floors down; Daddy, their uncle, and family friends are warming up for a nighttime jam session that already has the siblings wiggling their toes. Despite Mama’s warnings to go right to sleep, once the door is shut, they’re soon out from beneath the covers, grinning and grooving until they’re jumping on their beds in glee. The crash of a dropped toy makes the music halt and the siblings hold their breath (“The music stops… / Our stomachs drop… / We freeze… / Then Daddy starts the beat again, / and boy, are we relieved!”). Kenny wants to keep the groove going and suggests they sneak downstairs to better watch the band play, so off they go, creeping down the hall, slipping through the kitchen, and tiptoeing to the basement.
With no sign of Mama, the siblings settle in for the show, bobbing their heads as they watch the five-piece band—until they’re spotted by the surprise musical guest. “My my my, funny as can be!” says Mama. “Got four li’l eyes think I don’t see. / My my my, hear what I say / Those four li’l feet betta scurry away!” The jaunty, rhyming text captures that deliciously furtive element of rule-breaking (“Footsteps close—look out, we’re toast! / We’re busted, it’s no joke!”), and shifts in cadence and beat telegraph more dramatic moments. There’s nonetheless an underlying sturdiness to the rhythm, assuring readers that all will be well here—Mama isn’t really mad, and she hands the mic to Kenny as the narrator sits down at Daddy’s drums. It’s a show of affection that feels believable given the family’s love of music: yes, the kids are caught, but their earnest appreciation is worthy of praise, rather than rebuke
Mohammed’s luminous artwork shapes the story with superb visual storytelling. Hard-edge colorblocks made of gelli print and digital mixed media build each scene, softened at times into low-light dusk with layers of translucent color. A strong sense of movement carries throughout, in the siblings bouncing braids and locs as they dance to the music and a warm-toned ribbon of song that flows through the spreads, visualizing what the siblings hear as they’re guided through the dusky house. Faded nighttime blues and indigos warm like a sunrise to peachy pinks then bold yellows as the children are swept up in the music, crashing back to cool tones each time the music halts. Precise, subtle overlays of complementary color provide energetic depth to the family’s pajama attire and brown skin. It’s a visual performance that roars into a pop-art jam once the children join in, the family’s forms becoming single-color blocks that joyously crash together like the narrator’s beats on the drums
But bedtime can’t be delayed forever, and the narrative and visuals respond in turn—dreamy deep blue washes scenes as children, parents, and band shuffle upstairs, and gentle yellow and green off-whites offer an abstracted memory of the instruments and music still ringing in their ears. The children fall asleep ruminating on the songs and planning performances of their own, so viewers can rest assured this isn’t the last show: “We promise we’ll be ready / when it’s Daddy’s band . . . / plus two!” This joyous book will be a hit at any music-themed storytime and certainly will be on repeat as bedtime draws near.
—Adam McConville, Reviewer
Cover illustration from The Band in Our Basement. Text by Kelly J. Baptist. Illustration copyright © 2024 Jenin Mohammed. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Abrams.