I'm From by Gary R. Gray Jr. (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: I'm From by Gary R. Gray Jr. Natalie Berglind Gray Jr., Gary R. I'm From; illus. by Oge Mora. Balzer + Bray, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063089969 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063334366 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 4-7 yrs A Black boy lists the things that contribute to his identity as he goes through his day. Waiting for the bus with the other kids, he observes that he comes from "cotton [End Page 58] candy hair / and razor-sharp lineups. / High fades and low fades. / Tight ponytails, / and laid edges." On the bus, the kids listen to hip-hop as the bus driver yells at them to calm down, and on the blacktop at school, they play double Dutch. Once in class, viewers discover why the boy is thinking so much about what he comes from: "Can I touch your hair?" one kid asks, and "Where are you from?" asks another. The boy goes on to share that he's "from" his stories and superhero drawings, and when he gets home, his parents tuck him into bed and tell him that he comes from their hopes and dreams. Elegantly crafted verse alternates between alliteration and sounds that pack a vocal punch: "I'm from notebooks, / stubby pencils" and "caramel candy squares, / butterscotch buttons." To match the impact of the text, Mora's art is varied and attractive, utilizing mixed media to convey a patchwork of textures and the purposefully unpolished hand of a kid's drawings as a riot of color splashes every page. This picture book is a beautiful, dreamy, powerful answer about identity in response to a racist question that attempts to reduce kids of color to something easily contained. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois