Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry - ESSENTIAL

Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry, illustrated by Brittany Jackson. PICTURE BOOK. Aladdin (Simon and Schuster), 2019. $18. 9781534451865

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Parker’s mom takes her and her little sister to the National Portrait Museum where they meet up with friends. Parker walks the halls and is taken by the different colors and subjects until she looks up at one point and sees a portrait of Michelle Obama. She is inspired and thinks about all the things she can become. 

This is a beautiful book for a couple of reasons. First of all is the way this book highlights the experience of seeing your skin color represented in art and how important it is to have models that look like you do. The second reason I loved this book was the way it treated an ordinary moment as a moment that can have great impact on a life, reminding us all to be aware of our experiences.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher