Children's books: "The Rock in My Throat", "My Bright Shining Star", and "Clara's Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends"

The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Jiemei Lin (Carolrhoda Books)
My Bright Shining Star by Fatima Whitbread, illustrated by Rhian Wright (Quarto Publishing Group)
Clara's Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends by Karen Belanger-Richmond, illustrated by Paul Mathews (Mascot Kids!)

Back into the world of children's books!

In The Rock in My Throat, Yang gives voice to a story that had stayed trapped inside her for far too long. As a young child, having recently immigrated to the US, she stopped speaking—to speak was to invite criticism from (white) native English speakers, or worse, to become like them. But as a child, this was too hard and mysterious to articulate, and so now Yang is returning to this story to, perhaps, help other young readers understand.

This is beautifully done, both in the intentionality of the text and in the full-page illustrations. The ending is a little abrupt, but I find the choice to leave the story where it ends intriguing; I imagine there was some amount of back-and-forth and consideration about how far the narrative should go. Maybe in the 2020s a child in Yang's position would have more resources available to her and better understanding from the adults around her, but then again...maybe not. I'm glad that this book can be something of a resource in itself.

I'm left wanting to read Yang's memoir Latehomecomer—how much story she must have stored up, in those years when she could not yet express herself fully!

In My Bright Shining Star, Fatima's future is uncertain—but her present is secure. Living in a children's home, she might not know if or when she'll find a new family, but for the time being she has the security of Aunty Rae, the bright shining star who carries her through.

This picture book is informed by the author's experiences growing up in the care system, but more than that it's a tribute to a woman who provided a sense of stability in Whitbread's childhood. After finishing the picture book I looked up an old interview with Whitbread, and safe to say that (appropriate for the age group) this is a much, much happier version of events than her lived experience. When she got older, Whitbread was a very successful athlete, and I love that she has chosen here to focus not on athletics (there are lots of books about sports and success stories) but instead on children who might feel forgotten; I can imagine this being a reassuring gift for a child entering the foster care system.

The art is simple and playful, with a lot of warmth and color. An excellent addition to a library or classroom.

In Clara's Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends, the titular protagonist is entranced by a small family of foxes living nearby. With the encouragement of the adults in her life, she learns as much as she can about their habits and lives—and I think we have a budding scientist here.

This makes for a sweet and informative book, perhaps especially got for children who are living at the intersection of city and nature. Clara is encouraged in her curiosity, but also in her respect for nature—she learns to keep a respectful distance and to satisfy at least some of her curiosity with books. The illustrations are bright and cheerful—I love Clara's rain boots, and I love that in the pictures we really see her being a kid. For the most part I like the simplicity of the writing, though I'm not so keen on the dialogue (doesn't always feel super realistic, I think), but that's a relatively small part of the book. At any rate, nice to see realistic books about kids adventuring outside and learning about the world around them.

Thanks to the authors and publishers for providing review copies through NetGalley.