Luci Soars by Lulu Delacre

 Luci is born into a grim, black-and-white urban landscape and she was born with no shadow. At first it doesn't seem to matter. Her mama loves her, the neighbors call her "Que linda!" or "so cute!" but as she gets older people begin to notice that she's different. She begins to walk in the shadows of others until one day when she's brave enough to try to join the other children on the playground and is taunted and excluded.

As she cries, she begins to wonder why she needs a shadow anyways. "Does a shadow keep you on the ground?" and she begins to float. As she soars into the air, her clothes begin to light up with colors, as does her skin and then her hair. Colors float around her and she soars in a sea of blue, returning home to their small house that is now tinged with color, as is her loving mother. She can now see things from a different perspective and the book ends with a joyful, colorful picture of Lucy smiling and bold, looking directly at the reader.

This is a lovely fable with stunning illustrations and a Latinx flair with Spanish phrases and names sprinkled throughout. However, I'm disappointed that Luci claiming her difference implies putting down the other kids, not because of their unkindness but because of their shadows. The character Luci also shifts oddly in age, from a baby to looking like a teenager when she's floating, to a child with her mother, and then a teen or adult on the last page. 

I don't think I'd use this in storytime, but I can see reading it and discussing it in a classroom or with an adult, talking about how people handle differences, about excluding and including people, and looking at things with a different perspective.

Verdict: Not a required purchase perhaps, but an interesting and thought-provoking book with lovely illustrations.

ISBN: 9781984812889; Published August 2020 by Philomel; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library