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Monday, March 13, 2023

Me and the Boss: A Story About Mending and Love, written by Michelle Edwards and illustrated by April Harrison. Anne Schwartz Books, Penguin Random House. 2022. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 


"In the near dark, me and Zora are long
shadows. We stick together. She walks fast,
and I walk fast, too. I reach for her hand, 
and she squeezes mine. 

At home, the boss shows off her flower."

Zora is an overly confident older sister to Lee, her younger brother. When they make a trip to the library to attend a sewing class, all the kids are older than Lee. As the younger one, Lee is not treated in the same way as the others; he is given no thread. Zora makes a case for him, and Lee is included in the class. 

The teacher provides instructions for the embroidery project. Zora excels at it while Lee struggles. It's enough to have him give up, then sit and wait impatiently while Zora works away at her flower. Mrs. C encourages her students to take their projects home with them. At home, Zora is proud to show hers; Lee is not; he keeps his hidden. 

Later that night, when everyone else is sleeping, Lee returns to his work. It takes time and patience to finish. Then, uses his new skills to fix a hole in his pants pocket. He continues the following day with a surprise for his sister. 

" ... She wraps me and Bess in her special hug, and 
we share something that is bigger than my pocket, 
bigger than Bess's ear, maybe even bigger than me 
or Zora." 

And then it's right back to Zora being the boss all over again. 

Artwork completed using collage, acrylic paint, pen-and-pencil offers bold color, textured images and strong lines. I really like this family story; it reminds me of home. 

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