My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay

Description: "Zulay is a blind girl who longs to be able to run in the race on field and track day at her school"--

Brief description: Vanessa Brantley-Newton is the writer and/or illustrator of many picture books, including One Love, based on the Bob Marley song. Ms. Newton lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Review Quotes:

"This picture book is a great way to continue building diverse library collections for all readers." --School Library Journal

"Best's prose and Brantley-Newton's digital images exude warmth and empathy as they build to a triumphant conclusion that has Zulay working hard to prepare for a Field Day race." --Publishers Weekly

"Zulay's voice shines with rhythm and sensory detail, immersing readers naturally in her experience. Zulay's mention of learning to read braille, swim and climb trees despite difficulty will reassure blind kids whose hands are also "learn[ing] the way," and all kids will cheer as she and Ms. Turner fly around the track. A slightly raised braille alphabet on the back cover is a nice touch. Blind and sighted kids alike will enjoy this cheery outing, which appropriately treats learning to use a white cane with the straightforwardness another might treat learning to ride a bike." --Kirkus Reviews, starred

"Refreshing in its casual approach to racial diversity....Friends reflect an array of skin colors and ethnicities. Vanessa Brantley-Newton's wonderfully spirited illustrations find the subtler commonalities between them all, as they mirror one another in their expressions and body language. Best's rendering of the cheerful inclusiveness in Zulay's classroom toward a child with a disability is equally exciting." --The New York Times