"This classic school story offers a full range of emotions and situates this life-loving Black child in affirming family and school settings. A welcome addition to every shelf."--Kirkus
"Bright, childlike mixed-media illustrations with a variety of patterns will appeal to youngsters, and the idea of a name having a meaning will be new to many children."--Booklist
"A hopeful celebration of individualism and an ode to recognizing one s inner specialness."--Publishers Weekly
Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children's book illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is the author and illustrator of Grandma's Purse and Just Like Me, and has illustrated numerous children's books, including The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes and Sewing Stories by Barbara Herkert. Vanessa currently makes her nest in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes. Learn more about Vanessa and her artwork at VanessaBrantleyNewton.com and on Facebook and Instagram.