Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey caught my eye in an email sent around by the publisher rep. I was wondering why: was it the simple cover? The blue and green combination of colors that was fresh and soft? Was it that hint of yellow of the shirt or the cat peeking out from the cover? Or was it the fact the name Rainey was catching my eye as I have a cousin whose last name is Rainey?
Whatever was drawing me to Erin Entrada Kelly’s book really does not matter. The fact I read the book (due out early May 2021) does matter. It is a simple book, that is also a cute book about a little girl overcoming her fears. And especially the fear she has about climbing the big tree in her backyard. The tree she has dubbed, Peppina. We also see her dealing with siblings, her family dynamics (biracial, her father works away from the family and she only sees him occasionally), bullies and a best friend who is just the best.
Marisol is an imaginative child. Not only does she play pretend, she also is great at thinking up fun names for the tree, refrigerator, her bike and so forth. Some names come from or are inspired by her love of silent movies/black and white movies. And Kelly incorporates this feeling throughout the book. Based on Kelly’s life, this is a book we all can relate too and kids ages (strong 7) 8 to 10 can really get into it.
There are sweetly fun illustrations (also by the author) on most pages. They are simple, but not overly simplistic. There is not a lot of detail, as they are not always a full page but highlighting points, but they are cozy and fit the tone of the narrator.
