"A short, cheerful board book packed with photos of diverse children. In Li’s debut, the goal is clearly to show that diversity is worth celebrating. Amusing, engaging photographs of children of a range of ethnicities experiencing a variety of activities are set against illustrator Wong’s cartoonish, bright backgrounds to provide visual interest and fodder for conversation between child and caregiver. Simple fonts and appealing design make for easy, accessible reading. Lack of patterns or clear connections between pictures and text may cause confusion, however. For example, the sentence “We are all different and different is lovely” accompanies an image of a child clutching his face and shrieking in shock; “I am happy because I am me” is paired with an image of a crying child eating watermelon. Disability politics appear briefly: “I have a friend, she has special needs, and she is friendly, just like me” appears with an image of a White girl with Down syndrome who has paint on her fingers—a positive portrayal which sits alongside the dated terminology of special needs and the girl’s implied difference from the implicitly abled narrator, who speaks for all children. While the nod is admirable, the text lacks content or information about navigating disability, finding community, or helping each other. Expressive photos and visual diversity; tepid text." Kirkus Reviews

Serena Y. Li is an author, innovator, founder and editor-in-chief of Duck Duck Books. Serena is a 1.5 generation Asian American born in Guangzhou, China and raised in Houston, Texas. After her little Sophia was born, Serena was struggling with the new world of parenting as a working mom trying her best to raise a kind and open-minded child. A recent survivor of postpartum depression, Serena bonded with her daughter via books and quality time, but when she had a hard time finding meaningful, bilingual books for young children reflecting the cross-cultural values that she wanted to pass on, she found her new passion and purpose. In August 2021, she started her own publishing company, making multilingual board books that cultivate social emotional skills, inspired by the multicultural values she cherished as an immigrant. Building the brand from scratch during the pandemic, Serena leads a team of American creators of color that strives to create a better world for the future generations. From books that are built to last, to eco-conscious lifestyle goods that are designed to be washable, reusable, and convertible, Duck Duck Books and Duck Duck Eco Goods work together to further causes of diversity, giving back, and spreading the love of our planet and one another. Serena, together with her husband Chris, are raising their daughter Sophia as a quadrilingual child speaking Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and English. They make time to talk, sing, and read daily. The family, along with golden retriever JoJo, currently resides in Edmonds, WA.

Publisher: Duck Duck Books
Author: Serena Li
Illustrator: Abe Wong
ISBN: 978-1-7372039-0-2
Size (H x W): 6.5x6.5
Weight: 8 ounces
Cover Type: Board Book
Number of Pages: 18
Language: English
Date Published: 2021-10-01