(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. "Why can't he put those books down, play football or basketball?" Garvey's father wants to turn him into an athlete, like his sister Angie, but Garvey would rather get lost in a book, listen to music, or dream about galaxies. In addition to pressure at home, he faces endless taunting at school for his weight. When Garvey meets the "skim-milk boy" Manny, who has albinism, he asks how Manny stands the teasing. "I look strange. No changing that. / Is there more to me? / Sure. Kids yell 'albino boy.' / I don't turn around. / Choose the name you answer to. / No one can do that but you." Per Grimes's author's note, this graphic-novel adaptation leaves two-thirds of the original book's (Garvey's Choice, rev. 9/16) tanka poems intact, with only small changes to the rest of them. The verses are given a new visual life with excellent page designs and clever illustrations, including the closing spread showing Garvey singing into a mic and his father playing the guitar, with floating musical notes uniting them in song. An unusually effective use of the graphic-novel format to bring poetry alive.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016; May, 2023

(2) K-3 Harrington and Taylor (Buzzing with Questions, rev. 11/19) introduce the life of another pioneering Black scientist, Charles S. Parker (1882–1950). Clear, engaging prose outlines Parker's lifelong love of plants, his desire to know "where, when, why, and how they grew," and to help others "learn to love plants, too." Parker not only made his mark locating, collecting, and identifying plant and fungi specimens, he also served as a mentor to Black scholars, particularly women who were underrepresented in the academic world. Clearly, that desire to help others guided him: as a young man he co-founded a newspaper focusing on jobs for Black workers and, as a First Lieutenant in WWI, petitioned for equality for Black soldiers. After the war, Parker's research began in earnest as he collected plants across the U.S. and Canada, devised a process for preserving them, and pioneered work in mushrooms and other fungi. With an appropriately earth-toned palette, Taylor's digital art spotlights Parker's collection expeditions, the plants and fungi he studied, and his fieldwork with students. Appended with a scientific glossary; additional biographical information about Parker; a timeline of his life; brief biographies of six notable Black scientists (three of whom he mentored); and extensive bibliographic material.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(3) PS Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. The country rap star makes his obligatory celebrity foray into children's books with this ABC trip into Old Town Road territory. From "A is for adventure" to "Z is for...zzzzz," text and art mosey through a day on the ranch with, one assumes, little Lil Nas X and his pony, Panini. The featured words aren't always inspired, but the performer's messages of acceptance and love pop up from time to time: "Y is for y'all. We've got love for everybody, no matter who you are, where you're from, what you look like." Taylor's uncluttered digital illustrations are focused on the young cowpoke, his close family, and his happy trails.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. This picture-book biography of renowned the African American entomologist (1867–1923) highlights his lifelong scientific curiosity and powers of observation. His "indefatigable" grit shines through as he searches to discover, for example, if bees can identify color. Turner's belief that "biology could help people see the connections among all living things" gave him hope as he experienced racial prejudice in the early-twentieth-century South. Harrington's text uses powerful cadences and well-chosen repetition. Taylor's clean-lined digital illustrations spotlight the scientist at work in the lab and outdoors. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) PS Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. Upbeat second-person narration addresses an adorable African American baby in this sweet book sure to encourage the tiniest social reformers. Woke Baby's cries, crawls, and naps are encouraged and applauded in empowering words: "Here are your hands, reaching for what is yours." Woke Baby seems larger-than-life in the close-up illustrations--a nod to how even the smallest of us has the potential to make a big difference.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Theodore III Taylor. Following a foreword by ballerina Misty Copeland, Schubert gracefully tells the story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American ballet dancer to tour with a major company. From 1955–62, Wilkinson danced for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo but faced prejudice whenever they traveled south. Heavy lines and shadows in the illustrations reinforce how injustice can weigh down even ethereal art such as ballet. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. A series about the retired NBA star as a young boy continues with Little Shaq, who's used to excelling on the basketball court, feeling nervous for the upcoming art show ("I'm no good at art"). Its lessons--"keep an open mind"; "try something new"--are glaring, but newly independent readers will easily handle the amiable story's three short, generously illustrated chapters.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. Even as a seven-year-old, future NBA star Shaquille O'Neal casts a large shadow. He hogs the spotlight from his cousin Barry, both on the court and at home, until they work together to raise money for their broken video game. With a can't-miss lesson on teamwork within a family and community, the easy-to-read chapter book is enhanced with ample full-color illustrations.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. Clive (Kool Herc) Campbell, the "father" of hip hop, moved from Jamaica to the Bronx with a passion for music and a dream of DJing. Hill's "hippity hop[py]" text eventually settles on an appropriate cadence. Taylor's double-page illustrations capture Herc's skilled hands at the turntables and the vitality of a burgeoning art form. A welcome addition to an underrepresented subject. Timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson