FICTION

The Fresh Beat: A Boss Family Groove

by Allison Holker Boss (text) & illus. by Shellene Wright
Disney-Hyperion. May 2025. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781368098298.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 3–Maddox has a bad day—nothing seems to go right from losing a basketball game to spilling lemonade at a party—and he decides to get his first “big boy haircut” (confusingly since he appears to be at least eight) that gives him a new perspective. Readers familiar with Boss’s debut picture book Keep Dancing Through are more likely to understand the family dynamic in this follow-up as various people help young Maddox, but it’s not clear how they are related to him. The illustrations are bright and colorful; emotions are conveyed strongly through Maddox’s facial expressions. The refrain “I’ve got you, and you’ve got me. We’ll dance together through every beat” is repeated four times, illuminating the importance of family togetherness and reminding children they are never alone in their struggles.
VERDICT Purchase where the first book is popular.
Reviewed by Carrie Voliva , Dec 13, 2024

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