May 15, 2023
In a lively picture book written by professional dancer and LGBTQ advocate Kanemura with Foxe, young narrator Mark, who is portrayed with brown skin, details how they love to put on full-scale, costumed performances and fashion shows for their family, with whom they can be “whoever I want to be!” At school, however, kids mock Mark for how they dress, move, and sound—treatment that “makes me want to disappear.” When Mark admits to family that “I don’t want to be myself anymore,” they give the child a shimmering rainbow cape that “makes me feel invincible.” And soon, it leads to a second safe space: friendship with a group of variously diverse kids “who look just like me—fierce, fabulous, and fun.” Merritt renders Mark’s experience in bright digital artwork in fizzy rainbow hues. It’s a book about authentic connection that invites readers to “dazzle when we embrace our true selves.” Includes a letter from the author. Ages 4–8.
May 26, 2023
Gr 1-3-Mark is a totally confident Hawaiian kid, putting on shows and strutting his stuff when he's at home. At school, where he's picked on, it's a different story. When his parents get him a beautiful rainbow cape, he develops the confidence to be himself and meet new friends, who are also unique in their own ways. But will he keep his newly found confidence when his cape goes missing? Mark, his family, and many of his friends have brown skin; his friends are diverse, including a child using a wheelchair, and another who looks overweight. The rainbow motif, featured throughout the book, is a well-known LGBTQIA+ symbol, although no characters' queer identities are mentioned overtly. The digital illustrations reinforce the bright, fun personalities of Mark and his friends, with rainbow colors flowing through the pages. Kanemura is a dancer and a social media personality, so the book may appeal to his fans as well as children. VERDICT While the story is far from unique, this book ably retells it, while showcasing a lot of diversity.-Kadie Seitz
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2023
So You Think You Can Dance? star Kanemura tells a story about his younger self. When Mark, a flamboyant, tan-skinned child, is at home with his adoring family, he's celebrated for his love of performance and dressing up. But at school, he's teased by cruel classmates. His attentive parents give him a shimmering rainbow cape, with the affirmation that "The world is a rainbow made up of a billion colors. And your color is totally unique." The cape gives Mark his confidence back, enabling him to befriend a racially diverse group of "fierce, fabulous, and fun" kids he meets at a playground. But the cape goes missing, and Mark fears that his new crew will drop him. Instead, they affirm him, and the power of friendship inspires Mark "to be a rainbow cape that helps others realize the light inside of them, too." The final spread, highlighting Merritt's busy, color-bursting illustrations, shows Mark growing up to be an unapologetically bold and fearless adult. Young fans of Kanemura will be delighted by this narrative, which appears to be set in his native Honolulu, and adults can learn a lot from the protagonist's supportive family. Still, the plot is a bit too thin to make it stand out from the pack of self-acceptance offerings. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Joyful, though it doesn't quite live up to its exuberant main character. (author's foreword) (Picture book. 4-9)
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