W Is for Welcome: A Celebration of America's Diversity (Sleeping Bear Alphabet Books)

Gr 3-6--An A--Z poetry collection that introduces various aspects of U.S. culture with an emphasis on immigration stories. Each letter receives an eight-line poem that introduces and sums up the theme with a more sketched out paragraph of information located at the side of the page. Some lines are odd ("C is for Cultures/A salad bowl of many flavors") but most are appropriate for the audience. The more expository text does acknowledge weightier topics (e.g., enslaved people built the White House) but tends to muddle it with vague and tone deaf follow-ups ("So while its builders were a diverse group, the country still had a very long way to go."). The illustrations for each letter are done by different artists (with some artists illustrating several letters), but they all use the same soft, detailed style that perfectly captures intricate landscapes and portraits as well as more complex ideas, such as the naturalization process, culture, and refugeeism. However, a number of scenes depict people in cultural costumes, which may reinforce stereotypes. VERDICT An additional consideration.--Molly Dettmann, Moore Public Library, OK