SPACE FOR EVERYONE
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BOOK REVIEW
"Wedlick (The Night Market) and Sucre (Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush) spotlight a welcoming family table in this bighearted tale. A family of five begins the day with breakfast at a large rectangular table. When neighbors stop by, the addition of more chairs creates a surface that’s “stretched as far as it will go.” After school, the object holds space for young Zainab and her mother to bond over mint tea, then becomes a place for four when it’s time for homework and crafts. Later, relatives arrive, and as the house fills, “their table for four is a table for more.” When it’s time for Zainab’s family to move, everyone gathers for a going-away party, during which “even more family and friends squeeze, squeeze, squeeze all around the family table” and beyond. And despite worries about the transition, family and old friends are soon joined by welcoming neighbors at the new house, and Zainab expresses gratitude: “Thank you, table, for always having space for everyone.” Warm, cheerful artwork and stylized characters portrayed with brown skin populate cozy family scenes, while gentle prose makes room for everyone, no matter the group’s size..."


The night market
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BOOK REVIEWS
Seina Wedlick (Naming Ceremony) crafts a second-person point of view that pulls the reader into the story without drifting into repetition; the text flows with a gentle rhythm, making this an enticing read-aloud: "The night market shimmers and shakes to the sound of music and laughter."
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- Shelf Awareness​
NAMING CEREMONY
BOOK REVIEWS
"This informative and impactful story gives young readers a window into how West Africans welcome new children into their family."
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- Kirkus Book Reviews
"Robust, mixed-media illustrations and a joyous story line combine in this celebratory title."​
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- Booklist Review
"A tender sibling story that meaningfully celebrates extended family and ancestral traditions."
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- Publishers Weekly
