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From Kirkus

Starred review from October 1, 2024
Musician Di Franco and illustrator Baker emphasize the significance of doing one's civic duty in this story of a Black mother and child heading to the polls. It's Election Day, and despite the terrible weather this November day, Mama has a "very important job." Accompanied by her young child, who narrates, Mama sets out to cast a ballot. Mama and her little one line up, enter a booth, and pull the curtain. Mama makes her selections, while the child pushes the buttons. Di Franco's language reflects the magnitude of the day while remaining accessible to curious readers. The youngster's pride and sense of belonging are palpable as Mama explains why everyone votes (to "have a say / about laws and rules / about parks and schools / about who's gonna run them / and in what way"). The well-deployed internal and end rhymes make for a read-along as whimsical as it is civic-minded. Baker's thickly outlined, earth-toned artwork is charmingly realistic, with a pleasingly retro vibe. Author and illustrator portray the electoral process as simultaneously familiar, momentous, and joyous. As our narrator identifies the ways voting can connect us to the people in our communities and beyond, the illustrations depict a whole world of diverse faces and engaged, smiling citizens. Sporting their "I voted" stickers, mother and child return home that evening, thoughtfully aware that voting is "how it all starts." A powerful primer on citizenship.(Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Horn Book

September 1, 2024
On a rainy November day, a young girl goes with her mother to their neighborhood polling place. Along the way, the girl's mother explains that voting is "a mission / that, by definition / no one can do for us." The two enter a curtained-off booth where the girl pushes the buttons that correspond to the names her mother chooses on the ballot. The rhyming text, which eschews capitalization, is composed in a singsong meter (not surprisingly written by a well-known folk lyricist and composer) that will make for an enjoyable read-aloud. Digitally created illustrations show a Black mother and daughter walking to the polls in a culturally and ethnically diverse city setting. Illustrations emphasize relationships the girl and her mother have within their community and the civic values that voting symbolizes. For them, voting is about caring for and preserving a community; it's a sense of belonging, and "a job" that everyone's "got to do" in order to do their part and take care of one another. A thoughtful and rousing conversation starter. Julie Hakim Azzam

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Publisher's Weekly

July 15, 2024
Speaking in flashback, a narrator recalls how "i learned what it meant/ to show up and vote" in this work that offers a pulsing message of empowerment and collective action. Though a child is reluctant to head out to the polls on a rainy November day, their "mama said listen,/ we're on a mission/ that, by definition,/ no one can do for us." At the polling place, a neighbor helps voters sign in, and the presence of friends and acquaintances inspires a key observation: "looks like the whole neighborhood's/ got the same job to do." Musician and activist DiFranco takes a conversational approach to voter education, centering feelings of belonging, pride, and excitement, and describing voting as "where it all starts/ where us people/ have a say." Baker's stylized, poster-like digital illustrations amplify the narrative's we're-in-it-together vibe, visualizing a vintage polling place and its operations (including a curtained booth) as part of community care. The protagonists read as Black; background characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 3â€"6.

From School Library Journal

July 1, 2024

K-Gr 3-It's an important day in November, rainy and cold, but a young girl's mother tells her that they must go out because they have a "mission" to fulfill. Her mama explains voting is where all people have a say about improving their communities, but only if they vote. It's a huge decision that every person should take seriously. When they enter the building, a lady looks up Mama's name and Mama signs her signature next to it. Then, the girl is excited because they are "invited" into a booth with a curtain. She watches as her mother chooses each name. As they walk back home, the girl sees the same neighborhood, but through new eyes. Now she sees how each person cares for the others by voting. The author's note at the beginning of the book shares that her own mother taught her it was a duty and honor to vote. It is a learned behavior and must be taught to children by their parents or other adults. The note explains how the author's mother and the mother in the book show by example-a far more compelling lesson than simply telling a child to vote. Baker captures the moments inside the voting building and neighbors on the street. Readers will connect to the rhyming prose about an important topic, which makes the lesson fun rather than preachy. VERDICT An important, accessible read for young readers and a must for all collections.-Pamela Thompson McLeod

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2024
On a rainy November day, a young girl goes with her mother to their neighborhood polling place. Along the way, the girl's mother explains that voting is "a mission / that, by definition / no one can do for us." The two enter a curtained-off booth where the girl pushes the buttons that correspond to the names her mother chooses on the ballot. The rhyming text, which eschews capitalization, is composed in a singsong meter (not surprisingly written by a well-known folk lyricist and composer) that will make for an enjoyable read-aloud. Digitally created illustrations show a Black mother and daughter walking to the polls in a culturally and ethnically diverse city setting. Illustrations emphasize relationships the girl and her mother have within their community and the civic values that voting symbolizes. For them, voting is about caring for and preserving a community; it's a sense of belonging, and "a job" that everyone's "got to do" in order to do their part and take care of one another. A thoughtful and rousing conversation starter.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

June 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 3 In this timely picture book, a child and her mother put on warm coats and walk to their local polling place, where a neighbor finds the mom's name in a book and asks for her signature beside it. After standing in a long line, the girl and her mother enter the voting booth. Mom explains what she is doing and why it matters to them and to others. A singer/songwriter and poet, DiFranco offers a story geared toward younger children and includes rhymes and near rhymes, delivered within an engaging rhythm. Not every stanza includes end-of-line rhyming, but there's a rhythm to the text: "i thought about everyone / working together / i thought about each person / doing their part // i thought about people / looking out for each other // and how showing up to vote / is how it all starts." Baker uses strong lines, bold shapes, and rich colors to create eye-catching scenes, capturing the characters' expressions with sensitivity in this lively, engaging introduction to voting.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.