The Hula-Hoopin' Queen

by Thelma Lynne Godin, Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Illustrator)

Overview

Charlotte Zolotow Award - Highly Commended Title, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

A spunky African American girl has a hula-hooping competition with her friends in Harlem, and soon everyone in the neighborhood--young and old alike--joins in on the fun.

Kameeka is confident that today she will finally beat her rival, Jamara, and become the Hula-Hoopin' Queen of 139th Street. But then Mama reminds her that today is their neighbor Miz Adeline's birthday, and Kameeka has a ton of chores to do to get ready for the party they are hosting.

Kameeka's disappointed to be stuck at home and can only think about the hoopin' competition. Distracted, Kameeka accidentally ruins Miz Adeline's birthday cake, and has to confess to her that there won't be a cake for her special day. But then Miz Adeline's confesses something too: she's also got the itch-the hula-hoopin' itch! Her fingers start snappin'. Her hips start swingin'. Soon everyone's hips are swinging as the party spills out onto the street. The whole neighborhood's got the itch-the hula-hoopin' itch!

A spunky African American girl has a hula-hooping competition with her friends in Harlem, and soon everyone in the neighborhood-young and old alike-joins in on the fun. With vibrant illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, The Hula-Hoopin' Queen is a charming celebration of family and community ties. Set in Harlem, this intergenerational story shows the importance of staying young at heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620145791
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	09/15/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	272,565
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Thelma Lynne Godin grew up in upper Michigan climbing trees, ice skating in her backyard, and frequently visiting her small town library. She was inspired to write The Hula-Hoopin' Queen from her own experience of still going out to hoop with the kids in her neighborhood. Godin and her husband live in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. They have two grown children. The Hula-Hoopin' Queen is her picture book debut.

Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology and children's book illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She has illustrated several picture books, two of which she also wrote. Brantley-Newton also loves to craft, cook, collect vintage children's books, tell stories, make dolls, and shop. She lives in East Orange, New Jersey, with her husband, daughter, and two crazy cats, Kirby and Stripes.

Editorial Reviews

* "A lively intergenerational picture book that will send readers out to the sidewalk for a hoopin' good time. . . A fine incentive to motivate couch potatoes young and old to move." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "This story of a tightly knit community attests to the power of tradition and the treasures to be discovered among the generations that came before." -- Shelf Awareness, starred review

"These feisty characters, find loving ways to honor and forgive one another--while having a blast--will give pleasure across generations. Warning: this itch is contagious!" -- School Library Journal

"First-time picture book author Godin's empathic prose and Brantley-Newton's emotionally telegraphic art capture the lively and nurturing Harlem neighborhood and the thrill of competition, whether age nine or 90." -- Publishers Weekly

"This enjoyable intergenerational story has a sassy surprise at the end that is neither saccharine nor contrived and entirely in the good-natured spirit of the girls' rivalry. The text snaps with a cadence that seems effortless and lends itself well to reading aloud. Brantley-Newton's colorful palette reflects the lively inner-city neighborhood in which Kameeka lives, where kids play on the sidewalk and neighbors look out for one another. With its emphasis on camaraderie and celebrating, this is a perfect title for sharing." -- Booklist

"[R]efreshingly original. . . The appealing cartoon-style illustrations highlight a strong sense of community in Kameeka's Harlem neighborhood, showing a wide range of distinctive characters and places. They are likely to draw children right into that world, and there's a lot to notice there, from the pictures on Kameeka's living room wall to signs in shop windows to the hula-hooping figure on the traffic 'walk' light." -- The Horn Book

Charlotte Zolotow Award - Highly Commended Title, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Best of the Best Books, Chicago Public Library
Delaware Diamonds Reading List, Diamond State Reading Association
Outstanding Achievement in Children's Literature, Wisconsin Library Association

From the Publisher

06/23/2014
In a snappy story about a tight-knit urban community, Kameeka has been honing her Hula-Hooping skills in hopes of beating her neighborhood rival, Jamara, the reigning "Hula-Hoopin' Queen of 139th Street." But Kameeka's mother reminds her that she needs to help make a birthday cake for their neighbor, Miz Adeline—just when Kameeka is supposed to be showing off her moves to Jamara. One failed cake later, Kameeka heads out (hoop in hand) to grab sugar for another attempt and runs into Jamara Hula-Hooping on the street. All of a sudden, it's easy to forget about baking that second cake: "my fingers start snappin' and my feet start tappin'. My hips start swingin', and I just know I'm gonna beat Jamara today." Kameeka is contrite when she realizes that, because of her, Miz Adeline won't have a birthday cake, but an innovative alternative—and the discovery that Miz Adeline is no slouch with a Hula Hoop herself—result in a successful celebration. First-time picture book author Godin's empathic prose and Brantley-Newton's emotionally telegraphic art capture the lively and nurturing Harlem neighborhood and the thrill of competition, whether age nine or 90. Ages 6–10. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (June)

Publishers Weekly

05/01/2014
K-Gr 3—Kameeka's goal is clear from the opening paragraph: she plans to beat the neighborhood competition and become the Hula-Hoopin' Queen of 139th Street—today. Unfortunately, Mama has other plans. There is cleaning to do and baking in preparation for Miz Adeline's birthday party later in the afternoon. The still hopeful bundle of energy polishes until she can see "clear to New Jersey" through the sparkling windows, but her inability to sustain focus results in a ruined cake. The child's opportunity to remedy the situation with a trip to the store for more sugar does not end well either; the taunts from the reigning queen prove irresistible. Luckily the revered party guest has the hoopin' itch too—as does her childhood competitor, so there are dueling pairs as the party spills out into the street. In a flash of inspiration, Kameeka turns a chocolate doughnut into a birthday-worthy dessert for her beloved neighbor. Brantley-Newton's breezy, effervescent figures, undulating against a '70s decor, are a spirited match for Godin's text delivered with pitch-perfect attitude. The hand drawn, digitally colored compositions include collage elements to depict brick exteriors, torn posters, and homages to famous paintings, a decision that adds depth and verisimilitude to the urban scenes. These feisty characters, find loving ways to honor and forgive one another—while having a blast—will give pleasure across generations. Warning: this itch is contagious!—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2014-04-09
A lively intergenerational picture book that will send readers out to the sidewalk for a hoopin' good time.When Kameeka gets the hula-hoopin' itch, her fingers snap, her feet tap, and her hips swing. She feels "the itch" coming on one afternoon, and she gets ready to step outside to compete against her hoopin' archrival, Jamara. Mama, however, has other plans, as she prepares the house for Miz Adeline's party, a grandmotherly neighbor who took care of both Kameeka and Mama as children. When Mama sends Kameeka on an emergency run to the grocery store for ingredients to replace the fallen double-fudge chocolate cake, Kameeka takes a detour that lasts much longer than it should. But hoop she must to save her reputation in the neighborhood. Godin's lively language paired with Brantley-Newton's colorful collage illustrations of children from many different backgrounds gives readers a realistic view of this diverse and close-knit urban community. The pictures that hang on the walls of Kameeka's house—of Ruby Bridges and a brown-skinned, cap-and-gown-wearing graduate—hint at the importance of both education and African-American history in this family. The elderly Miz Adeline validates Kameeka's love of the hula hoop when she demonstrate through her own hoopin' moves that some forms of play remain timeless.A fine incentive to motivate couch potatoes young and old to move. (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews