MAGICK HOODOO CHILD

At Juniper’s school in the city, bullies—seen in the shadows but apparently white—taunt the young girl. On a day devoted to celebrating students’ heritage, they tell her she doesn’t know where she comes from. Juniper’s mojo bag, tucked in her pocket, doesn’t keep the bullies at bay. But soon enough, she packs up empty mason jars and travels to Grandma’s house down South. During “rootwork summer,” Grandma teaches Juniper about the wisdom their ancestors brought from Africa, when “white folks stole us and caged us on boats set for America.” Grandma explains that these newly arrived Africans sought wisdom from their own ancestors, “[weaving] the magick of home deep into their bones” as they harvested tree sap and gathered mushrooms. As Juniper learns about these practices—known as hoodoo—and the powers of different plants, she adds bits of items to her mojo bag and fills her jars with herbs. And when she returns home in August, she feels ready to face the bullies, armed with the knowledge of who she is. McBride’s shimmering prose (Grandma’s home is “like a ship sailing in a sea of herbs”) immerses readers in Juniper’s experience, while Encarnación’s illustrations make powerful use of light and shadow to redefine what glows. Their perspective on the Black diaspora brings something truly new to children’s literature.