Publishers Weekly
06/26/2023
Mali crafts a love poem whose speaker fondly recalls the actions of encouraging, inspiring, and supportive educators. Among those given a shout-out are a science teacher who had students dramatize “the intricate way/ that the planets and their moons revolve around the sun” and an art instructor, “dressed in white paint-splattered smocks,” who “looked like a doctor—with a dash of Valentine.” Other examples abound (“Those great educators? They’re not always teachers”), but above all, Mali stresses that leading with heart is key (“I loved the teachers I loved best.../ ...because they loved me back”). In flow with Mali’s heartfelt words, Root’s fanciful illustrations combine real-life scenarios and dreamlike visions; vining flowers sprout from a book in a child’s hand, and a teacher and students ride an open book through puffy clouds. A cast of children and adults represent a range of abilities and skin tones in this affectionate celebration of those reaching the profession’s ideals. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"The theme and the words will speak to parents and children remembering the best parts of their school experiences. . . . An ode to educators that will resonate with anyone who has had a memorable teacher." —Kirkus Reviews
"Mali crafts a love poem whose speaker fondly recalls the actions of encouraging, inspiring, and supportive educators.... [an] affectionate celebration of those reaching the profession’s ideals." —Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
2022-11-16
In response to a lawyer who insulted his profession, Mali delivered a poem defending the work of teachers on a much-viewed TED Talk; he continues to laud the efforts of educators in this picture book.
The poet speaks about his own experiences with classroom teachers and other school personnel (coaches, crossing guards, drama, music, and art teachers) and notes that “Easy teachers who gave easy tests / are not the teachers I loved the best. // No, I loved the teachers who made me work hard / in the classroom, the science lab, / the theater, and the schoolyard. / Those are the teachers who stand out from all the rest.” The book-length poem has some rhyming lines and also includes internal rhyme, assonance, consonance, and repetition, but the verse doesn’t always scan well when read aloud. The stylized, digitally created illustrations appear to have some trompe l’oeil effects and are full of diverse children and teachers, including a child who uses a wheelchair and another who uses crutches. Rainbows are common images: quirkily erupting out of test tubes, providing a background for the art teacher, and playfully flowing among the musical notes streaming from a student’s mouth. The content may not be very original, but the theme and the words will speak to parents and children remembering the best parts of their school experiences. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An ode to educators that will resonate with anyone who has had a memorable teacher. (Picture book. 5-8)
