Publishers Weekly
08/02/2021
Country music singer Allen presents a rhyming ode to the range of voices people have, varying in volume, tone, and age, and extending to those conveyed internally and through sign language. Sharing positive ways in which one’s voice can be used, the book highlights words throughout in different colors: “I will learn to SPEAK UP/ to show I am strong,/ TO STAND FOR WHAT’S RIGHT,/ and to know what feels wrong,” reads one spread, which shows a Black child with purple glasses introducing themselves to a light-skinned, curly-haired child eating alone at lunch. Johnson supplements the lyrical text with soft-hued, gently textured art, featuring a cast inclusive across ability, age, hair texture, skin color, and religion that occasionally mirrors the text and occasionally diverges. This short, optimistic picture book urges children to steward their voices well. Ages 3–7. (July)
From the Publisher
"The text urges children to speak up—show strength—yet also encourages loving, comforting others, and reminding all “we’re Sisters and Brothers” who have faces of diverse races and ethnicities. VERDICT A suggested first choice for libraries, the rhythm and flow of words perfectly match the art while advising readers to choose love and use their voices in a powerful song." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"Johnson supplements the lyrical text with soft-hued, gently textured art, featuring a cast inclusive across ability, age, hair texture, skin color, and religion that occasionally mirrors the text and occasionally diverges. This short, optimistic picture book urges children to steward their voices well." —Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
★ 07/01/2021
K-Gr 2—"We all have voices, voices to hear." Country music artist Jimmie Allen offers descriptive poetry dedicated to the power the voice, of an individual or of the many: "Some have a voice / AS TALL AS A TREE— / LOUD and PROUD / Some have a voice as small as a bee, / soft and sweet like / KISSES OF HONEY." Beautifully painted portraits bring depth to the faces, as well as emotion to each setting. The sound of voices flows as bubbles from a trumpet and through the end papers after a series of scenarios. Larger bubbles surround and call attention to types of voices, even those that are "silent but speak with hands." The soft palette is highlighted by deeper tones, shadows, and expressive faces, while library shelves weave across the page as a place "to wonder, to learn, and to ask." The text urges children to speak up—show strength—yet also encourages loving, comforting others, and reminding all "we're Sisters and Brothers" who have faces of diverse races and ethnicities. VERDICT A suggested first choice for libraries, the rhythm and flow of words perfectly match the art while advising readers to choose love and use their voices in a powerful song.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TX
Kirkus Reviews
2021-05-19
Explores different ways one’s voice can be used.
The unidentified narrator begins by chronicling different types of voices: “loud and proud,” “soft and sweet,” “patient and wise,” and more. The Deaf community is included in both text and art, and sign language is alluded to: “There’s a voice that is silent / but STILL CAN BE HEARD / with hands that move / to speak EVERY word.” The vibrant, colorful art presents an array of children of different races and skin tones. Unfortunately, this well-meaning book does not cohere. The art in some spreads does not appear to augment or even connect to the text. For example, the lines “I’LL SAY NO TO HATE / by using this voice / and ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE— / a magical choice” are illustrated with a spread of four children: one playing the trumpet, another singing, one with a drum major’s hat and baton, and the final child skateboarding. Readers may be confused by how these images apply to the text since they have no direct relation to saying no to hate or choosing love. Spreads with children holding protest signs feel disconnected to the present moment with no Black Lives Matter or BLM–related signs depicted. Some text excludes nonbinary children, asserting “we’re SISTERS / and BROTHERS.”
Aspirational—but not quite ascending to the inspirational. (Picture book. 3-5)
