![]() The cast is wonderfully multicultural: African American Joey learns about origami from a Japanese American parent, and is given a place to practice by a Mexican American restaurant owner. Karas’ gouache-and-pencil illustrations clearly convey Joey’s fascination with folding, and the frustration he feels at not being able to practice. Warm characters, gentle humor, and sweet illustrations convey the challenges of learning new skills without making them feel insurmountable. It’s a quiet but effective reminder of the value of practice. Smart design decisions-including a square trim size, origami-patterned end pages, and subtle fold marks that divide Karas’s ( A Poem in Your Pocket) images into vignettes-create a graceful visual underpinning to the theme, and an origami project is included for readers. ![]() It's an excellent companion to Kleber's story, which encourages patience, practice, and sharing creativity, and finishes with a simple origami lesson for readers to try. His art shows his hand, the textured pencil, and pastel strokes evident on the page, which gives the book a gentle, handmade feel. ![]() Karas' soulful illustrations depict Joey with brown skin and cropped, textured hair, with other characters drawn to show other ethnicities. Kleber uses simple language but gives young readers great credit for understanding multiple concepts conveyed at once, and the story is all the better for it. ![]()
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