Two Black siblings use their imaginations to escape their immediate surroundings throughout the seasons in this picture book by previous collaborators Woodson and López (The Day You Begin). During "the spring when the rain seemed like it/ would never stop," the children's grandmother--who wears butterfly wings as earrings--encourages the bored duo to "Lift your arms,/ close your eyes,/ take a deep breath,/ and believe in a thing." They do, "flying over the city we'd known/ our whole lives," and from then on, nothing can keep them down--neither anger in summer, nor loneliness in autumn, nor unfriendly kids in a new neighborhood during winter. Learning to soar "from the people who came before," the children are told both that their feelings have been experienced by others, and that "nobody can ever cuff/ your brilliant and beautiful mind," a lesson they pass on in turn. Energetic layered multimedia illustrations accompany the poetically repeating lines, vividly depicting winged escapes over images of a slave ship and contemporary real-world high-rises. An author's note acknowledges the work of Virginia Hamilton in this book's origins. Ages 5--8. Author's agent: Dorian Karchmar, William Morris Endeavor. Illustrator's agent: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel and Adriana Dominguez, Full Circle Literary. (Jan.)

A sister and brother live with their younger sister and grandmother. In the spring, the weather is stormy, and the children grow bored. Summer finds them bickering over chores. In the autumn, the rooms of the apartment feel "big and lonely." Then, in winter, they move, leaving their familiar street and friends behind. From this basic premise comes a narrative rich with literary and visual symbolism, simultaneously simple and profound. What has happened to the parents? Why do they relocate? No details are provided, so the framework could be applied to many situations. Each season, their grandmother acknowledges the children's feelings and encourages them to find strength within. She tells the children to lift their arms, close their eyes, and figure out a way to fly. When they do, they are able to see positive elements, like flowers in the spring, companionship in summer, freedom in the fall, and new friends in winter. Fantasy elements in the illustrations include the girl's hair filling with butterflies, flowers, and then ships at sea that suggest the Middle Passage. Faces of ancestors appear in the leaves of plants. These images, as well as the children flying, are integrated into an otherwise recognizable world. With this book (simultaneously released in Spanish), Woodson and Lopez create a path that children may follow as they gain confidence and imagine a way forward no matter what challenges arise.

An intergenerational family story of freedom. A girl with a big, curly Afro and her little brother, both light brown--skinned, live in a high-rise city apartment building. Because of stormy summer weather, they must stay inside. As a remedy for boredom and bickering, their grandmother advises them to "use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours." And they do, throughout all four seasons of the year. Colorful butterflies and a vibrant little bird that often appear flying around the siblings represent their freedom, which is only ever as far away as an open book or the doorways of their imaginations. López illustrates the inside of the family's apartment with drab, muted colors that emphasize the children's confinement. In contrast, the outdoor scenes, illustrated primarily in pastels, exude luminosity and convey the youngsters' exuberance. Rather than being selfish with their ability to fly, the sister and brother share it with the neighborhood kids. The protagonist/narrator shares that her grandmother learned to fly from "the people who came before," who were "brought here on huge ships, / their wrists and ankles cuffed in iron." This recalls Virginia Hamilton's legend of The People Who Could Fly (1985), referenced by López in one illustration and discussed by Woodson in her author's note. Some readers will notice an intertextual reference to the pair's previous title, The Day You Begin (2018).The ebullient mixed-media artwork explodes with color and extends the richness of the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An uplifting story that will inspire kids, especially brown girls and boys, to dream. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Woodson and Lopez (The Day You Begin, rev. 9/18) follow a brother and sister over the course of a challenging year spent mainly indoors: "That was the year we learned to fly." In Woodson's poetic text, the children's grandmother suggests that they use their imaginations to cure their boredom: "Lift your arms, / close your eyes, / take a deep breath, / and believe in a thing." Later, when they move across town and are faced with the challenge of making new friends, their much-practiced skills help them succeed. The book reminds children that imagination is a powerful tool in any situation, and Lopez's colorful, eye-pleasing art enhances this message. Readers also are reminded that they have support from the past: "My grandmother had learned to fly / from the people who came before / They were aunts and uncles and cousins / who were brought here on huge ships / their wrists and ankles cuffed in iron / but, my grandmother said / nobody can ever cuff / your beautiful and brilliant mind." In the accompanying art, the young girl stands with head bowed and her grandmother's hand on her shoulder. Images of ships on the sea are silhouetted against her afro, and away flies a brightly colored bird, now unshackled. In an author's note, Woodson discusses how Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales inspired her to write stories. Nicholl Denice Montgomery January/February 2022 p.103(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.