  | I am the dream come true Author: Dias, Marley | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
Marley and her parents share the ancestral histories that have forged new opportunities for future generations by reaching for their dreams.
| Added Entry - Personal Name: | Dias, Janice Johnson |
| Dias, Scott |
| Illustrator: | Mil, Islenia |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/01/26)
School Library Journal (05/29/26)
Full Text Reviews:
Publishers Weekly - 05/04/2026 Drawing on her family’s West African and Caribbean heritage, Marley Dias teams up with her parents and illustrator Mil to portray a child in constant conversation with their ancestors. Standing next to a staircase wall lined with family portraits, the brown-skinned child protagonist inhabits the first of a series of illustrations that incorporate the past and present, attended by a kind of intergenerational call and response. After previous generations, traveling by boat to a new home, point to the youth as "the bridge between two seas,/ Connecting the past to the now," the child indicates, "I embrace our family’s name..../ Because of their bravery, I am blazing a trail." Subsequent spreads show the protagonist surrounded by further reminders of the earlier generations’ diasporic legacy, including a photo album, a framed image, and a necklace. A palette of aquas and greens nods at seas crossed, and the slick digital illustrations hint at patterns, prayers, and traits flowing ever forward in this abstract look at intergenerational resonance. Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 4-8. (June) - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly used with permission.
School Library Journal - 05/29/2026 K-Gr 2—Known for her activism and the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign, Dias reflects on identity, empowerment, and the emotional journey of migration. Dias brings clarity and conviction to this book, blending memoir and a call to action. From struggle to triumph, the story's protagonist contemplates her ancestors' "tradition of resilience" and their difficult choice to migrate to America, along with their hopes of a promising future for their descendants despite the nation's history of slavery; post-Reconstruction politics; and Jim Crow laws, which enforced segregation. Mil's illustrations show Black ancestors who left familiar surroundings. Living generations are beautifully depicted with rich bronzed skin tones that are full of warmth and depth and seem to come alive through the family photo gallery. VERDICT A well-suited choice for caregivers and school libraries that gently captures multigenerational experiences of hope and change.—Kimberly Filmore - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
