My Name

June 1, 2023
An Indian American boy's excitement for his first day of school is tempered when his classmates can't pronounce his name. Their "wrinkled foreheads" and the giggles that follow make the young boy shrink into himself. He worries that his name conjures "far-off smells," "the hot sun," and "sweaty crowds," and he feels lost in their "frosty stares." With downcast eyes, he turns to his parents for an embrace. His parents turn each of his hurt feelings into a vision of joy and healing. They gently remind him how his arrival meant "wrinkled faces / Creased into smiles." They teach him that his name signifies his culture and his roots and encourage him to celebrate his differences. The vibrant illustrations mirror the unnamed boy's moods with cool greens and blues moving into reds and oranges as he grasps his unique identity. Though the boy's heritage is richly conveyed through warm brown skin tones and traditional Indian clothing and food, the story lacks the depth of other recent books celebrating names and cultural identities. The text leans heavily on the parents' perspective, with little engagement to encourage the child's own realization of his uniqueness. In the author's and illustrator's notes, Kelkar and Prabhat share that they've had similar experiences and discuss learning to embrace the beauty and power of their names. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Winning illustrations level up an uneven story. (Picture book. 4-8)

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August 7, 2023
While readying for the first day of school, a child prepares to learn classmates’ names: “Say your new friends’ names out loud/ And the name belonging to you/ Carefully, kindly/ And they will too.” But Kelkar’s fluid lines stagger as the protagonist introduces himself, only to experience “wrinkled foreheads/ And twisted tongues.” After a schoolday of feeling that “I’M DIFFERENT,” parental reassurances remind him that his name means he is cherished and wrapped “together/ With those who came before.” Prabhat’s saturated palette mixes warm and cool tones to portray the boy interacting with others and slowly learning to self-affirm that “My name means I’m me./ Your name means you’re you.” The protagonist and his family read as South Asian; classmates are shown with various skin tones. Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 3–6.

Starred review from August 25, 2023

Gr 2-4-Gr 2-4 On his first day of school, an Indian American boy is encouraged by his parents to honor the many names he will encounter, along with his own: "Say your new friends' names out loud/ And the name belonging to you/ Carefully, kindly/ And they will too." At school, however, others have difficulty pronouncing the boy's name, which makes him feel ostracized, different, and alone. When he gets home, his parents help him to understand that different doesn't mean bad and, what's more, that his name, culture, and heritage are all things to be proud of and to celebrate-a message he joyfully takes back to his classmates: "My name means I'm different/ Just like yours does too./ My name means I'm me./ Your name means you're you." While there is certainly no lack of titles on the topic of names, Kelkar's take is lovely and affirming. The lyrical text is rhythmically pleasing and constructed to pointedly contrast the boy's initial shame with the love, pride, and joy his name evokes. This contrast is evident in Prabhat's bold digital illustrations as well; the artist adeptly uses a palette of blue, green, orange, and brown to capture and express the protagonist's shifting emotions. Notes from the author and illustrator speak to their own experiences with their names. VERDICT A worthy contribution. Pair with Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow's Your Name Is a Song or Juana Martinez-Neal's How Alma Got Her Name for a lesson or story time on the beauty and power of names and identity.-Lauren Strohecker

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