It's Pride, Baby!

April 1, 2024
“It’s Pride, baby!” Wells’s enthusiastically affectionate debut sees a close-knit queer Black family attend Washington, D.C., Pride. After early pages follow two adults encouraging their child to “take up this space/ With your beautiful Black self,” the family heads to the rainbow-strewn parade route. There, mural and other images of LGBTQ icons, including Marsha P. Johnson, invite further affirmations (“You are our perfect child.// The child of so many/ Heroes before you”). Subsequent pages focus on the parade and celebration: drag performers in glitzy dresses ride floats, participants bear a banner that reads “unapologetically Black,” flags fly, and fireworks burst overhead. Throughout this tenderhearted tribute to unconditional love as a form of protest, Valle’s warm-toned digital illustrations convey Pride’s air of defiant celebration without losing the text’s endearing warmth of two parents’ love letter to their child. Background characters are portrayed with varying abilities, body types, and skin tones. More about Pride concludes.
Ages 3–5.

June 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 1-A young child's queer dads encourage them to be unapologetically whoever and whatever they want. On the day of the Black Pride parade in Washington, DC, a child awakens joyfully knowing it's a big day. This may be the first such parade for the ungendered child, who is both excited and curious at the same time. The picture book is bright, colorful, and reflective of modern times and many families. The illustrations progress seamlessly from scene to scene, making readers feel like they're actually at the parade with this family. Wells's story brings a community together to celebrate its uniqueness, individuality, and courage. Readers see the central family among clusters of people excitedly traveling to the parade by subway and on foot; everyone is rejoicing in the moment. A use of diverse characters spans race, ability, and age. Several of the paraders have natural hair styles with braids, waves, and texture. The scenes make it easy for readers to find themselves in the event, whether queer or not. Throughout the big day, the dads affirm their child to stand up for what they believe. This sense of affirmation resonates throughout the story and a further sense of empowerment flows through the vibrant pages. The book also shines a light on the forerunners of the Black Pride experience. Illustrations of their faces along city murals make for a more powerful and historical story line. VERDICT For all elementary school libraries; the author provides a self-affirming mirror for many families.-Matia Edwards

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2024
A family spends a delightful and affirming day at DC Black Pride. "Lift your soul to the sky / Like summer sunbeams / Don't live behind clouds-- / You shine!" A Black family made up of two parents and a child get ready for the day ahead. Bonnets and durags come off as backpacks loaded with water and rainbow flags go on, and the family walks down their front stoop, boards the Metro, and takes to the streets to participate in the festivities and watch the parade. All the while, rollicking verse unspools these caregivers' affirmations for their child and their community. The radiant illustrations tell the story here, with Valle's soft, blended spreads immersing readers in the celebration and spotlighting moments of connection big and small. Wells' well-paced text works well with page turns, flowing with loving declarations for every moment of the day. Proud history meets present joy again and again with the refrain "It's Pride, baby!" as the concepts of family and togetherness expand from a focus on the parents and child to the whole Black, queer community (present and departed) in Washington. Backmatter offers a brief history of the Black Gay Pride Movement and explains how DC Black Pride has evolved over the years into a weekend-long festival. Also included are guidance and resources for supporting a queer child's self-discovery (complete with myriad Pride flags). Jubilant. (websites) (Picture book. 3-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024
A young child and their two parents prepare for a DC Black Pride parade in this picture book that examines an often-overlooked part of Pride history. Brightly colored, but mostly static, digital illustrations show the family as they join others in their multicultural community who are heading to the event. The titular refrain is repeated as the narrator encourages the child to "wave your rainbow flag high." Back matter provides information about the Black gay pride movement and ways to support LGBTQIA+ kids.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)