NAMED ONE OF THE BEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES •
FIVE STARRED REVIEWS Visit a truly special street bursting with joy, hope, and dreams. Inspired by the neighborhood where they grew up as cousins, this gorgeous picture book from an award-winning illustrator and critically acclaimed author is the perfect gift or keepsake for every generation. Welcome to Dream Street--the best street in the world! Jump rope with Azaria--can you Double Dutch one leg at a time? Dream big with Ede and Tari, who wish to create a picture book together one day. Say hello with Mr. Sidney, a retired mail carrier who greets everyone with the words, "
Don't wait to have a great day. Create one!" On Dream Street, love between generations rules, everyone is special, and the warmth of the neighborhood shines.
A magical story from the critically acclaimed author of
Nana Akua Goes to School and a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winning illustrator. Illuminating this vivid cast of characters are vibrant, joyful illustrations that make this neighborhood--based on the Roxbury neighborhood in Boston where the author and illustrator grew up together as cousins--truly sing. This book is a perfect way for parents to share with their children the importance of community.
On sale: November 16, 2021
Age: 4-8 years
Grade: Grades 6-8
Page count: 32 Pages
ISBN: 9780525581109
Reading level: Lexile: AD940L | Fountas/Pinnell: O
Tricia Elam Walker is the author of the acclaimed picture book
Nana Akua Goes to School, which received the 2021 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award and the Children's Africana Book Award, as well as four starred reviews. The
Wall Street Journal hailed it as a “a picture book . . . that captures a complex vulnerability that every child feels at one point or another.” Tricia also wrote a novel for adults,
Breathing Room, under the name Patricia Elam. She is a cultural and fashion commentator and blogger, and has written for National Public Radio, the
Washington Post, Essence magazine,
HuffPost, and more. She practiced law for sixteen years prior to teaching writing in Washington, DC, and Boston. Currently, Tricia is an assistant professor of creative writing at Howard University, and resides in Takoma Park, Maryland with her husband. Visit her at triciaelamwalker.com.
Ekua Holmes is the acclaimed bestselling illustrator of several award-winning picture books, including
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer (Caldecott Honor, NAACP Image Award, CSK John Steptoe Award, Sibert Honor),
Out of Wonder (CSK Award,
NY Times bestseller), and
The Stuff of Stars (CSK Award). A painter and collage artist, she graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Visit her at ekuaholmes.com.
Praise for Dream Street:"Dreams for Black children manifest in striking art as the very idea of
street is reimagined."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Beautiful and uplifting."
—Booklist, starred review
“A buoyant celebration of community nourishment, extolling the virtues of supporting children in dreaming freely and fully.” —
Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A stunning work of art that dismantles stereotypes about Black communities and portrays a place where love abounds.” —
The Horn Book, starred review
Praise for Tricia Elam Walker's Nana Akua Goes to School:“A picture book . . . that captures a complex vulnerability that every child feels at one point or another.”
—The Wall Street Journal“This lovely story explores the perennial fear of being different, while showcasing the great love between a grandparent and grandchild”
—School Library Journal, starred review
“An open-hearted tribute to children with immigrant parents or grandparents.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This beautiful picture book offers a helpful perspective on cultural differences within a heartening family story."
—Booklist, starred review
"Walker writes convincingly about how difference can cause unease among children, and her story offers a compelling portrait of a grandmother whose pride and poise put that concern to rest.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Offers viewers both the comfort of the familiar and, for those unfamiliar with West African arts, a tantalizing introduction to interpreting symbols. Most importantly, this calls for readers and listeners to have faith in youngsters to embrace a new concept with an open mind and enthusiastic spirit.”
—The Bulletin“Lucky for readers and for Zura, her grandmother has a fascinating cultural tradition that, in her first book for kids, Tricia Elam Walker presents with extraordinary grace and nimbleness…. [An] eye-opening picture book.”
—Shelf Awareness
