Selina Alko

The daughter of a Jewish mother and Christian father, Sadie gets to experience and enjoy the pleasures of both Christmas and Hanukkah in this holiday picture-book, as her family blends the rituals and observances of their two traditions, in order to create their own unique family celebration. Singing both Christmas and Hanukkah songs, eating traditional foods, from latkes to cookies, and blending decorations meant to commemorate each holiday, Sadie and her parents get the best of both show more worlds...

A sweet holiday tale that will have appeal for interfaith families that choose to honor both religious traditions, Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama pairs a simple text with colorful artwork, done in acrylic and collage. Although I appreciated the message here, about two faiths coexisting peacefully in the life of one family, I do think that Selina Alko's story will work best for those readers who are secular, and approach the celebration of "their" holiday from a strictly cultural perspective. I suspect that those who consider these holidays religious observances, in addition to cultural and familial ones, might be made uncomfortable by the somewhat topsy-turvy style of holiday mix-and-match, with candy-canes on menorahs, and Hanukkah gelt strewn beneath the Christmas tree. With the proviso that I think it works best for interfaith families where neither side is particularly attached to their faith from a religious perspective, I do recommend this one to those looking for stories that include both Christmas and Hanukkah elements. show less

I don't know of any picture books that have filled my heart with joy like The Case For Loving has. Selina Alko uses few words but still speaks volumes in this very real and complex story and then streamlines it beautifully in a way that young readers can understand.

The story centers around Richard and Mildred Loving, the interracial couple who challenged Virginia's laws forbidding interracial marriages and took their case all the way to the Supreme Court.

“Tell the Court I love my wife, show more and it is just unfair that I can’t live with her in Virginia.”

I love love, always have, and this story fills me up and makes me want to share it with all the young readers in my life. Sidenote, the illustrator is author Alko and her real-life husband, Sean Qualls!! What a wonderful collaboration and celebration of LOVE. show less

With a black father and a white mother, a young boy wonders what his new sibling will look like when it is born. All of his conjectures evoke food imagery – “Baby, what shade will you be? Pure coal black or coffee with lots and lots of cream? Ginger cookie brown or midnight licorice purple?”

My favorite is the two-page spread that wonders: “Baby, will your hair look like mine? Noel’s string beans locked this way and that or Akira’s puffy head of broccoli flowerets? Maybe, like show more Aunty Angela, your mushroom bob will wave neatly in half-moon curls. Feathers might hang from a round coconut face. Or, like Grandma Helen, will sharp blades of grass stick straight up?” The illustrations are absolutely adorable and quite well executed – a very fun mix of gouache and mixed-media. Many of them show friends or family members in order to put images to the boy’s guesses. I could see myself paging through this book over and over again to revel in the diverse and imaginative illustrations. show less

This book celebrates the rich culture of America that is a direct result of the diversity of immigrants who came to the country and strengthened it in countless ways.

The colorful double-page spreads feature words beginning with each letter of the alphabet that come from the various cultures making up America. From bagels to Chinatown, to guacamole to kielbasa and kimchi, to Ellis Island, quinceaños and roti, kids will learn words they will come to know as part of their country’s cultural show more background. The author writes in her Note at the end of the book, “America isn’t any one thing; it’s many….” and this book certainly shows how true that is.

Alko, also the illustrator, uses brightly colored gouache and collage to provide a closely interweaved impression of the country as a melting pot. The people depicted are a variety of races and from a variety of backgrounds, but all American.

Evaluation: This book for ages 4 and up may introduce readers to new words that will require adult help, but will help them understand just how much America is a country of immigrants, and all the better for it. show less