The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, written by Roberta Flack with Tonya Bolden, and illustrated by Hayden Goodman. Anne Schwartz Books, Penguin Random House, 2023. $25.99 ages 6 and up

"Dreamed of my own piano when I tap-tap-tapped
out tunes 
             on tabletops,
                      windowsills. 

Dreamed of that piano when, 
with my slight voice, 
I sailed into sing-alongs
with big sister Nancy, 
with little sister LaRene."

I knew next to nothing about Roberta Flack's life. I did know her music, and am happy to know so much more about her after reading her lively picture book that tells the story of her life. While the family didn't have much in terms of fancy things, they had music. That music brought great joy. 

Roberta's father taught himself to play the piano and harmonica; her mother took lessons as a child and played the organ at church. A very young Roberta played the piano at church when she couldn't even reach all the keys. What she really wanted was a piano to call her own. It was an endless dream for a musical child. As she grew older, she took piano lessons. 

A family move from North Carolina to Virginia did nothing to dampen that love for music or the dream of having a piano of her own one day. On a visit to Washington DC, her father spotted an old, dilapidated upright piano in the junkyard. He knew it would be perfect for now nine-year-old Roberta. With help, he hauled it home. 

Hard work, patience, and skill went into refurbishing it. Daddy and Mother cleaned it, tuned it, and painted it a 'grassy green'. 

"Gently, I touched the keys, 
my green piano
already a part of me, 
notes flowing through my fingers
to my body, 
to my soul."

Teaching herself, taking lessons again, and endless practice soon had Roberta singing in a strong, rich voice. Now, with a bigger dream than ever before ... a life of making music and entertaining others. Despite her great success, she never ever forgot that green piano. 

Ms. Goodman fills the book's pages with mixed-media artwork that is joyful, and filled with the love of family and music. In back matter, readers learn more about Roberta's life and career and her wish to give back through the Roberta Flack School of Music. It offers free music education to elementary and middle years students, and the Roberta Flack Foundation devoted to helping even more children - especially girls of color. A timeline offers highlights from her remarkable career.                                                                                       

Finding My Dance, written by Ria Thundercloud and illustrated by Kalila J. Fuller. Penguin Workshop, Penguin Random House. 2022. $24.99 ages 9 and up

 

"I was nervous when we arrived at 
the first powwow where I would 
dance alone, even though my family
would be following behind me. 

The powwow was packed! But right
before the first drumbeat sounded, 
my youngest brother walked over
and whispered in my ear, 

"Dance hard." "

Ria Thundercloud is a professional Indigenous dancer. In this autobiography, she explains that her journey to performance began with an orange jingle dress gifted to her when she was only four years old. Her cultural heritage is the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin and the Sandia Pueblo in New Mexico. Though they are very different, both nations honor dance. 

Ria learned from her mother that the jingle dress was a healing dress, and by dancing in it Ria was sending blessings to all who watched her. Dancing in that dress resulted in her being a part of the powwow circle. With her brothers she began a summer life that took them from one powwow to the next, dancing with power and spirit, and basking in the warmth of the people in attendance and the powwow circle itself. As they travelled, her love for dance continued to grow. 

She tried its many forms, and loved them all. Dance was her dream, and she was living that dream. A dancer's life wasn't perfect ... it was hard work. That hard work wasn't nearly as hard as spending days at school where Ria was shy and often alone. Once she graduated, she travelled the world because of her passion for it and tremendous talent. Always in her heart were her ancestors and her love for home.  

"No matter how far I went,
I would always return to my
homelands, to the sound of the drums." 

Personal, thought-provoking, abundant with the traditions of her culture ... and filled with unending pride.                                                                             

If You're a Kid Like Gavin: The True Story of a Young Trans Activist, words by Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff and illustrations by J Yang. Harper, 2022. $23.99 ages 8 and up

 

"If you’re a kid like Gavin Grimm (or any other kind of kid), you don’t get to choose who you are. You don’t choose your skin color. Or your parents. Or where you grow up. And if you’re a kid like Gavin Grimm, you don’t choose if you’re a boy or girl. But if you’re transgender like Gavin Grimm, you might choose to talk about it."

As kids do, Gavin knew about the many choices he could make on a daily basis. Some of them were easy. Will you eat worms? Where are you going on your bike today? Other choices are made for you. 

In Gavin's case, he didn't have a choice to make about whether he was a boy or a girl. Although his parents thought he was a girl, Gavin knew he was a boy on the inside. Being transgender, Gavin did make a choice to talk about it with his family, and at school. Public bathrooms in the school were labeled as being for boys or girls. In the beginning, he chose to use the bathroom in the nurse's room ... a safe place all the time. 

Most people at school were accepting of Gavin. He was free to be himself. Then, he decided he wanted to use the boys' bathroom like every other boy in the school. His principal was fine with that; others, apparently, were not. Laughter and bullying began after a teacher starting spreading gossip about Gavin. Soon, Gavin had another big choice to make. 

"Gavin chose to speak up for himself. 
He went to the meeting at his school 
and told them where he belonged. 
He tried to make them see that he was 
just a kid, not a problem to be solved." 

It didn't work. Gavin chose not to accept their ruling and stood up for himself once more - and for other kids who were dealing with some of the same issues he faced. He took his fight for rights all the way to the Supreme Court. He continues to advocate for himself and others today. Sadly, the fight for trans rights is not over. 

This autobiography that chronicles Gavin's early life is quiet, powerful, and offers opportunities for discussion about identity, understanding, and the rights of all people to be who they are. Digital illustrations, awash in blues and pinks, highlight Gavin's journey and experiences. A note from both authors is worthy of attention.