YARA'S GINGERBREAD DIVA

Tabb’s picture book offers a lively new take on an old gingerbread-oriented tale.

What if the legendary, hard-to-catch gingerbread man looked like you? Yara, a Black girl with awesome hair puffs, is practicing for the annual cookie-baking contest with her grandparents, but she’s frustrated with what she perceives as imperfect attempts. She tries one more time to create the “very best gingerbread cookie of all time” (with Grandma adding “something special” to the dough) and then goes for a walk with her grandmother to clear her head. Grandpa takes the cookie out of the oven, and the confection, a “Gingerbread Diva” that looks like Yara, comes to life and runs off. Whaley’s cartoon illustrations truly capture the wide range of characters’ emotions, including frustration, joy, surprise, confusion, excitement, sadness, relief, and pride. The Diva’s clear desire to be like Yara, and to be with her and help her, is clear throughout, showing the poignant connection between the characters. The repeated assertion (first by Grandma and then by the Diva) that Yara has “all the right ingredients” is a wonderful takeaway for kids of all ages. To make it even sweeter, the author includes a special recipe that takes the story off the page and into the kitchen.

A fun, interactive read with an important message.