By Cyrisse Jaffee

 A round-up of new children’s books that celebrate diverse cultures.

Two New Years by Richard Ho. Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield. Chronicle Books, 2023.

Insha’Allah, No, Maybe So by Rhonda Roumani and Nadia Roumani. Illustrated by Olivia Aserr. Holiday House, 2024.

Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava by Gary Golio. Art by E.B. Lewis. Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers, 2024.

This is Tap: Savion Glover Finds His Funk by Selene Castrovilla. Illustrated by Laura Freeman. Holiday House, 2023.

Fall not only begins the school year, it also features several important Jewish holidays. Two New Years tells the cross-cultural story of Rosh Hashanah and the Lunar New Year, which will come in the spring.

Inspired by the author’s own family, the narrative tells the story of a Chinese father and Jewish mother and their two children as they observe both holidays. Despite the different rituals, the two holidays share much in common. “Both New Years,” the child narrator explains, “mark the passage of time.” At both times, families gather as they celebrate with good food, as well as thoughts and prayers for the new year. “Children and grandchildren reunite with the bubbies and zaydies, rejoice with ma mas and yeh yehs.…We prepare food that symbolizes togetherness and the heartfelt sharing of good wishes.”

The illustrations are happy and colorful, if a bit cartoonish, and help fulfill the author’s wish, as he writes in an Author’s Note: “All over the world, families with mixed backgrounds are blurring the barriers between cultures and customs.… I hope that readers of all backgrounds see themselves in these pages and relate to the joy of celebrating many worlds that aren’t so different after all.”

Many Arab and Muslim kids will already be familiar with the phrase “insha’Allah.” Written by two Syrian American sisters, Insha’Allah, No, Maybe So explores the meaning of this commonly used expression. Ranya wants to stop to play in the park, but her mother says, “Insha’Allah,” and keeps walking. When Ranya gets upset, her mother tells her, “…insha’Allah doesn’t mean no. It means God willing. You know Allah is God in Arabic. So, insha’Allah means if Allah wills.” Ranya isn’t convinced. “It always feels like no when you and Baba say it,” she insists. Her mother explains that it’s a powerful word. “We say it when we want something to happen, but we don’t know if it will.”

As Ranya struggles to understand, she and her mother talk about the various times and ways the word is used — sometimes it turns out to mean “no,” but other times it means “hopefully” or “depending on what happens.” The warm and loving relationship between Ranya and her mother is reflected in the richly hued illustrations of them and their neighborhood, as well as in their honest yet congenial conversation. This will be a welcome addition for Muslim children as they recognize themselves in the story, as well as a lovely introduction for others. An Author’s Note provides additional information.

Picture book biographies continue to expand and enrich the cultural knowledge of children as they highlight the contributions of a diverse array of subjects. Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem is a good example of the genre. Roy DeCarava, born in 1919, came of age during the Harlem Renaissance. He began photographing the people and streets of his hometown in the 1940s. In an afterword, which provides a summary of DeCarava’s life, the artist is quoted as saying: “My photographs are subjective and personal — they’re intended to be accessible, to relate to people’s lives.” His mission was also to celebrate everyday life in Harlem: “I want to show the strength, the wisdom, the dignity of the Negro people,” he says. “Not the famous and the well known, but the unknown and the unnamed, thus revealing the roots from which springs the greatness of all human beings.”

Although curiously not filled with DeCarava’s photographs, but with gorgeous watercolors by famed African American illustrator E.B. Lewis, this biography illuminates DeCarava’s life. Interspersed with quotations from the artist (“It doesn’t have to be pretty to be true, but if it’s true it’s beautiful. Truth is beautiful.”), the narrative takes the reader along as DeCarava walks through his neighborhood. It’s a lyrical journey, encouraging young readers to “see” what DeCarava saw: “Black and brown bodies, shining bright in the light.” This celebration of African-American life in New York is engaging, energetic, and inspiring. It’s also a great introduction to photography and the artist himself. A useful timeline, bibliography, and collection highlights are provided, but one wishes that the artist’s photographs had been included. (The only actual photograph of Harlem is, oddly, by an unknown photographer.)

The story of another African-American artist, Savion Glover, is told with the distinctive bounce and playfulness of his dancing in This Is Tap: Savion Glover Finds His Funk. Even in the womb, the narrative tells us, “he was movin’/to ‘da beat/side to side/’cross Mommy’s belly…” And when he was born, it was “with a beat/A rhythm/in his head/A sound/in his soul/Pulsin’/Poundin’/Demandin’/ to be free.” He started drumming at age four, enrolled in dance school at age seven, and was on Broadway by the time he was 10. Even though he was told that tap was “old school” and hip-hop was in, Savion found a way to blend the two in a unique style that revolutionized the dance world. He used his brilliant, electric, explosive dancing as a joyous celebration of African American-culture even as he acknowledged the pain and sorrow of slavery, racism, and stereotyping.

The lively illustrations by Laura Freeman seem to flit around the page, as they should, and the use of percussive word play (“crammity, slammity, jingity, dignity. Vroom, Vroom Vroom!”) keeps the story buoyant and vibrant. This is a fun choice for a read-aloud but can also be used with older elementary-school kids who are exploring rhythm, dance, and African-American history. It would be great to read with kids before and/or after watching Savion online. An afterword by the author summarizes Savion’s life and his contribution to American theater and dance.

Cyrisse Jaffee is a former children’s and YA librarian, children’s book editor, and a creator of educational materials for WGBH. She holds a master’s degree in Library Science from Simmons College and lives in Newton, MA.