Tag Archives: Picture Day

MG – Picture Day

Posted on by
Reply

Sax, Sarah. Picture Day. Alfred A. Knopf. 2023. 978-0-593-30687-1. 283 p. $13.99. Grades 3-7.

It’s picture day at Brinkley Middle School! Olivia “Viv” Sullivan is determined not to fade into the background in the hand knitted cardigan and boring braid that her mother wants her to wear. She wants a look that’s cool, bold, and true to herself – while also setting her apart from the many other Olivias in her grade. After all, that’s what Viv’s favorite influencer, Quinn Sparks, would recommend! To that end, Viv chops off her braid in the school bathroom. She’s finally ready for her close up (and quite pleased with her new look), but her mom is apoplectic and whisks her off to the salon for a stylist to repair the DIY chop. With newfound confidence, Viv realizes that she has a knack for helping other students stand out from the crowd, from a new Conservation Club promotion to a Halloween Dance proposal. Along the way, though, she neglects her two best friends and their preparations for the upcoming Tengu Con. In helping others to solve their problems, Viv creates some of her own, and must figure out her true priorities to move forward. Sarah Sax’s energetic, digitally created artwork in a variety of panel layouts keeps the pace rolling briskly along, and a wonderfully diverse group of characters is represented.

THOUGHTS: With elements of influencer culture, individuality, and friendship, Picture Day has something for almost everyone!

Graphic Novel

Elem. – The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship

Posted on by
Reply

Muhammad, Ibtihaj, and Ali, S.K. The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship. Illustrated by Hatem Aly. Hachette Book Group, 2023. 978-0-759-55570-9. unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

On school picture day, Faizah’s teacher challenges the class by asking what kind of world they want. Faizah decides that she wants a kind world and spends her day being kind to her classmates by helping them out in various ways.  But when it comes time for a picture with her sister, Faizah is disappointed that they aren’t wearing matching clothes. Her classmates come to the rescue by sharing and being kind to her.

THOUGHTS: This sweet book is a perfect companion to The Proudest Blue.  A great story to share to show kindness.

On picture day, Faizah is very excited to wear her special red dress. It was passed down from her mother to her sister and now she wears it with matching ribbons in her hair. At school, Faizah’s teacher asks the students to describe a perfect world, and Faizah has just the answer. A perfect world is one in which everyone is kind, where everyone helps, and there is always a friend nearby. Faizah and her friends spend the day helping each other, especially right before pictures. Mateo needs help with his bowtie. Sophie needs help tying her sash into a bow. And when it is time for siblings to take pictures together, Faizah realizes she needs help, too. Her older sister Asiya wears a hijab, but Faizah does not wear one yet. She desperately wants to match Asiya in the picture. Sasha sees that she is upset and helps by taking off the red sash from her dress and handing it to Faizah. Asiya ties the red fabric around Faizah’s head and it becomes a matching hijab, just in time for a perfect sibling photo. 

THOUGHTS: This sequel to The Proudest Blue is a sweet story of sibling love and acts of kindness. The diverse cast of characters and positive, powerful representation of a Muslim family makes this a must-buy for elementary libraries.

Picture Book