FICTION

Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment

by Parker Curry & Jessica Curry (text) & illus. by Brittany Jackson
Aladdin. Oct. 2019. 40p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781534451865.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1–Representation in any medium can be powerful. Based on a true story, this book follows Parker, a young African American girl, as she visits the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, with family and friends. Seeing different paintings of key events and portraits of key figures throughout history, the child stops in her tracks when she sees Amy Sherald’s portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama. The child is surprised because she sees an image in the museum that reflects her and opens her mind to a world of possibilities. Jackson’s illustrations depict the adorable children, the grand halls of the gallery, and full-page paintings of the Smithsonian and pulls readers into the experience with Parker.
VERDICT A great picture book to introduce a museum experience and to reinforce the importance of representation and its effects.
Reviewed by Ruth Guerrier-Pierre, New York Public Library , Nov 15, 2019

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