Magick Hoodoo Child

In this immersive intergenerational work, a Black child develops her bond with hoodoo during a joyful “rootwork summer.” At the end of the school year, Juniper is eager for time away from bullying classmates. After she gathers her mojo bag and some empty glass jars, Mama and Pops drive her to Grandma’s “brown brick and haint-blue” house. At dinner, Grandma explains the origins of hoodoo: during chattel slavery, “Black folks asked for wisdom from their ancestors... and wove the magick of home deep in their bones.” In the weeks to come, the duo fill the child’s jars and make mojo bags—including one to keep Juniper safe. As they walk barefoot through the woods, attend church, and visit ancestors buried in a cemetery, Juniper adds to her mojo bag. And at summer’s end, the child heads home with jars full of “herbs, history, dirt, love, and magick,” plus the knowledge that her ancestors are with her always. Lushly rendered illustrations from Encar- nación (Together We Remember) offer botanical bounty via a warm palette, while McBride (The Leaving Room), making a picture book debut, weaves community, spirituality, and love for the natural world into a summer’s worth of connections and practices. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Heirloom Literary & Media. Illustrator’s agent: Chad W. Beckerman, CAT Agency. (Jan.)