I probably could write at least 250 words on each of these Raissa Figueroa titles, but I won’t. I will let you know about them in one review. They have just come out or will later in 2023.
The first is Real to Me by Minh Le and Figueroa illustrated. This story we know because it is about imaginary friendship. Yet, there are twists and turns as well. There are two friends. One is imaginary. But, like all good imaginary friends, they are real to the narrator. But one day, that friend disappears (with an interesting surprise to things). The adult will see that maybe “this happened” and the child can see the more obvious plotline of, as we grow, things change. And one change is, we outgrow some friends and make new ones. But that does not mean our first friend was not real, or their influences go away.
What My Daddy Loves is a picture book that Figueroa has both illustrated and written. In their signature style of bold, bright, clear, polished, and minimal (but expressive) detailed illustrations, they show us the different daddies. These dads are tall, thin, hairy, bald, with hearing impairments, and some wear yellow. But what they all have in common is the love for their children. As we travel the story, we see fathers of color do the wonderful things dads do. They talk, care, play and do much more with the children. The concept we know, but the story takes on a new turn as it has been updated with a more modern tone.
We Are One is a title that Figueroa illustrated with Nina Mata and was written by Jackie Azua Kramer. It is close to the soft, whimsical tone of What My Daddy Loves (as You Will Do Great Things created by Amerie will have as well). This title is about community and by reading the artwork, you are able to see a clever story included inside of them that supports the narration. We have a diverse cast of characters and a sweet story of how things are connected and how friends are special. The story itself is more of a poetic verse, but it does open itself up to feeling larger than that.
And perhaps my favorite because of the illustrators, You Will Do Great Things. Once again, the magic is in the details of the illustrations. A biracial family, (the maternal grandparents are black and Asian) gathers one day. And while one of the grandchildren views the wall of ancestors, one of the photos takes them on a journey that will incorporate their history, ending with a menagerie of their family. This story is how the child will have their own journey, supported by ones that came before. Heavily influenced by the colors and has a leaning towards more Asian imagery (such as the firebird/phoenix that serves as a guide) this book allows everything to explode off the page.
Finally, Kelly Dipucchio takes us to the Artic in Oona in the Artic. I have one small issue of it did not seem as fleshed out as the other Oona books, but still is a treat. This time Oona and friends find a baby beluga far from home. Our brave mermaid gathers their courage and items needed to help. Along the way there are many adventures and new friends to make. The story is fun, but the clever illustrations are what made any text bumps work. The hidden gems in the art allows everything to mesh and allows your reader to make their own story as well as reading/listening to the text.