  | Homegrown Author: Wiley, DeAnn | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
While her mother puts the finishing touches on her twists, a young Black girl asks what it means to be homegrown. Touring heartening memories and rooms throughout the house warmed by family, Mama and Granny explain that home isn't just a place but rather a reflection of people who support and love one another.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (11/15/23)
School Library Journal (+) (00/03/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 03/01/2024 K-Gr 3—A sweet, meditative story of a young Black girl and her intergenerational household, and the love and care that goes into making a "home." In first person, an unnamed narrator introduces readers to her family and their myriad definitions of such a big, broad word. Home, and this book, impart both happiness and life lessons. Home is game nights and sleepovers with loved ones, but it's also caring for family spaces through cleaning and gardening. It is safety, and passing down wisdom. Home is where love happens, as a verb and a personal embodiment: "I look at myself in the mirror, smiling at my fresh twists, and I see home." Wiley's stunning, trademark digital collage artwork keeps the eye roving over bold prints and dynamic family fun. Sparse text is on the smaller side and ranges one or two sentences per page, giving Wiley space to capture the kaleidoscope brightness of joyful Black girlhood (bobby pins and rollers on a bathroom counter; smiling family photos filling the walls; Grandma's delicious pancake breakfast after Saturday chores). The text size could prove challenging for fledgling readers, but this would make an excellent story time or partner read, and could be used in elementary units about homes, family, and identity. VERDICT Vibrant and hopeful, Wiley's author-illustrator debut about a young Black girl and her loving community belongs in every collection. —Ashleigh Williams - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
