Boyogi

August 15, 2023
When a father returns from overseas military duty changed, his son misses who he used to be--until both find healing through yoga. Before coming back from "far away," Daddy slept deeply, liked to talk, and was fun to be around. Now that he's home, Daddy has nightmares, is angry, and spends a lot of time alone. When the child narrator--referred to as Butta Bean--asks his mama what's wrong with Daddy, she explains that bad things that happened overseas had "harmed his mind" and that the family is trying to figure out how to make him better. One day, Mama brings Daddy and Butta Bean to the YMCA for a yoga class. Daddy likes it and continues going, and the child accompanies him. With time spent consistently in yoga and in therapy, Daddy begins to feel better and is able to have fun with his family again. Moore and Denmon shine a powerful spotlight on a difficult topic, treading carefully and offering understanding and hope for families of veterans and other traumatized adults. Depicting self-care, wellness, and healthy, supportive relationships in the context of a loving Black family facing a serious challenge, this story makes a transformative contribution to the world of picture books. Denmon's muted palette, with contrasting yellow and blue tones, effectively denotes happy and gloomy emotions and times, strengthening readers' comprehension of the characters' evolution. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Necessary and memorable. (Picture book. 3-8)

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October 2, 2023
Young protagonist Butta Bean knows his father has been behaving differently since returning from deployment, but the child doesn’t have context for what reads as PTSD: “I thought he acted sad because of something I did. I thought my daddy didn’t love me anymore.” Explaining that “Daddy got sick overseas,” Butta Bean’s mother notes that “When Daddy was away, some bad things happened there.... We are lucky nothing happened to Daddy’s body. But those bad things harmed his mind.” After Mama takes Daddy and Butta Bean along to a yoga class at the local Y, the father-son duo doesn’t miss a day. Not only do their bodies and minds adjust, so too does the bond between father and son. Denmon’s
digital illustrations juxtapose somber blues for difficult moments and golden tones for both the Black family’s warm memories and Daddy’s arc toward feeling “way better.” In conversational text that spotlights one family’s experience, Moore addresses an important but conceptual topic in a developmentally appropriate way. Ages 6–9.

Starred review from October 15, 2023
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* A boy living in Brooklyn notices changes when his veteran father returns "from far away." Once fun, active, talkative, and a heavy sleeper, his father now has nightmares, is often angry, and prefers to be alone. While the boy helps his mother in the kitchen, they discuss Daddy's situation. Moore, a Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award winner, gives Mama thoughtful, direct, and age-appropriate language to explain that when Daddy was overseas "some bad things happened there" that made him sick. Although these bad things didn't hurt his body, they did hurt his mind. Mama also reassures that Daddy's anger is not the son's fault or a sign that Daddy no longer loves him. But when the boy asks how they can make Daddy's head better, Mama admits that they're still trying to figure that out. The story transitions as Mama takes Daddy and the son to the local YMCA, where they all participate in yoga. As the boy learns more about poses (which seem weird at first but become cool) and calming thinking, he notices positive transformations in his father. Together, they become yogis as Daddy continues to heal. Caldecott Honor Book illustrator Denmon emphasizes color in her realistic digital illustrations to reflect these changes. A sensitive, accessible approach to trauma and the mind-body relationship.

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December 2, 2023

K-Gr 4-This picture book addresses the difficult topic of how veterans can reconnect with their families after their service. The story begins quietly, with a Black boy's father returning from war, and the boy's accurate observation, "But he came home different than before he left." With straightforward text and restricted color palette illustrations that convey the emotions experienced by the family (blue and purple tones for sadness and anxiety; yellow and brown infused tones for happiness), Moore shows how children experience the change in their parents and often attribute the changes to their actions. It is the boy's mother who helps her son understand that his dad became "sick" overseas because "bad things" harmed his mind. After she tells him that "Our minds are very precious, and we need to take care of them," she decides upon a course of action-taking her husband and son with her to a yoga class. Soon, the father and son are attending yoga classes weekly, learning new poses, calming their minds, and becoming yogi (those who do yoga). The day when his father playfully calls him a "boyogi" marks a milestone. The boy knows the father he loves is returning, and the father can share openly how yoga, his therapist, and his loving family have helped him rediscover joy. VERDICT The message of self-care and supportive family relationships amid a serious family crisis will provide hope for other families with a beloved member altered by war.-Sally A. James

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