The picture book Fresh Juice might not become a classic, but it probably should. However, at the very least this mid-July 2023 release is going to be popular for many reasons. And the text is a good place as any to start. This story by Robert Liu-Trujillo tells the story of a father and son and their community. You might need vitamins and ginger and a little cayenne pepper for a cold-clobbering juice, but a little community added in does not hurt as well. And that is the lesson we find our character Art and his dad learning.
The other ways this book will be popular is the diverseness. Not only is our family of color, but Art is living with his (I am assuming) divorced, single father. Art has a stepdad; his mom is pretty punked out (with her mostly shaved head and its flop of hot red hair gracing herself). The two families have a lovely dynamic and are friendly with each other. And to top it off, the community is diverse with several cultures being represented. And to add to the diverse theme, we go to farmer markets, local specialty shops, and co-ops as a shopping source. This should delight modern readers immensely. Plus, if you think the juice that is made to help with the father’s cold, there is a recipe that you can try.
I personally will probably not be trying it, as it does seem to have a lot of kick to it, but instead I will enjoy the illustrations also by Liu-Trujillo. They are cool, in many senses of the word. The colors are bright, but not bold or overwhelming. They are neat and fresh. They also have a nice classical feeling to them as if you are looking at a street in NYC in say the 1980s (or at least Hollywood style). They are nicely detailed and because of them, the book really needs at least a second viewing (one for text, one for image reading and probably a third for combo of the two).
Most likely this will be more relatable to slightly older children, but it is an all ages book. Also this will be available in Spanish.
