An unnamed narrator—or perhaps a collective narrator—with diverse cultural heritage seeks to know whether America loves them. . . . Through simple, poetic language and stark, symbolic imagery, Peoples-Riley delivers [a] powerful representation of the complex relationship between people of color and the country whose past and present call its love for some of its people into question. . . . A sensitive rendering of the conflict at the core of double consciousness.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A hopeful, challenging response to [the Pledge of Allegiance] . . . An important counternarrative deftly executed, a big idea that unfolds in ringing phrases and manageable layers. . . . A resonant call that will easily fit into a classroom alongside the works it echoes and interrogates.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“In immediate, evocative text, a child of color asks America—her country, which she loves—if America loves her back. . . . Against black, white, and gray backgrounds, many different BIPOC children appear on the subsequent pages, wearing red, white, and/or blue, calling America to account. These children ask timely questions . . . The pictures’ grayness makes hope somewhat elusive, but the pops of color against the somber hues, the children’s persistent questions, and intergenerational support suggest a brighter future.” — Horn Book (starred review)
“A glorious gift that will reassure children that they don’t have to change to accommodate people who don’t love every part of who they are. . . . Peoples-Riley’s muted spreads contain splashes of red, white and blue that pop with pride on every page. . . . The book builds toward a resounding challenge to embody the American ideal of inclusiveness: ‘America, Land of the Free . America, ’Tis of Thee . America, I am you . America, you are me .’ America, My Love, America, My Heart is exquisitely wrought and provides a perfect first glimpse at patriotism and equality.” — BookPage (starred review)
“[A] moving, incisive consideration of America’s past and present treatment of its Black and brown inhabitants. . . . Oil and graphite art features people of color amid landscapes, church, and school, in shades of red, white, and blue against gray backgrounds, emphasizing both the narrator’s pride in America and the questions of marginalized people living there . . . A powerful picture book interrogation.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[The] flag, as the Pledge states, stands for ‘liberty and justice for all.’ But does it really provide those things to all its citizens? Throughout the pages of this book, various Black children ask the flag—and, by extension, the nation itself—do you love me back? . . . This book interrogates the concept of a nation that asks for unconditional love, respect, and honor but does not provide them to all its people, equally, in return. . . . A book that encourages children to ask questions, this is a solid selection for all Americans.” — School Library Journal
“A Black child questions the true meaning of America . . . Are we really one nation, with liberty and justice for all? . . . Concluding notes explain how the effects of racism have made [the author] feel different, and also detail her hope to live in a country that embraces variations in skin color, language, and religion.” — Booklist
A hopeful, challenging response to [the Pledge of Allegiance] . . . An important counternarrative deftly executed, a big idea that unfolds in ringing phrases and manageable layers. . . . A resonant call that will easily fit into a classroom alongside the works it echoes and interrogates.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
In immediate, evocative text, a child of color asks America—her country, which she loves—if America loves her back. . . . Against black, white, and gray backgrounds, many different BIPOC children appear on the subsequent pages, wearing red, white, and/or blue, calling America to account. These children ask timely questions . . . The pictures’ grayness makes hope somewhat elusive, but the pops of color against the somber hues, the children’s persistent questions, and intergenerational support suggest a brighter future.
Horn Book (starred review)
A glorious gift that will reassure children that they don’t have to change to accommodate people who don’t love every part of who they are. . . . Peoples-Riley’s muted spreads contain splashes of red, white and blue that pop with pride on every page. . . . The book builds toward a resounding challenge to embody the American ideal of inclusiveness: ‘America, Land of the Free . America, ’Tis of Thee . America, I am you . America, you are me .’ America, My Love, America, My Heart is exquisitely wrought and provides a perfect first glimpse at patriotism and equality.
BookPage (starred review)
A Black child questions the true meaning of America . . . Are we really one nation, with liberty and justice for all? . . . Concluding notes explain how the effects of racism have made [the author] feel different, and also detail her hope to live in a country that embraces variations in skin color, language, and religion.
A Black child questions the true meaning of America . . . Are we really one nation, with liberty and justice for all? . . . Concluding notes explain how the effects of racism have made [the author] feel different, and also detail her hope to live in a country that embraces variations in skin color, language, and religion.
A hopeful, challenging response to [the Pledge of Allegiance] . . . An important counternarrative deftly executed, a big idea that unfolds in ringing phrases and manageable layers. . . . A resonant call that will easily fit into a classroom alongside the works it echoes and interrogates.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
01/01/2021
Gr 2–4— The endpapers of this book depict the red, white, and blue American flag with the Pledge of Allegiance written in its stripes as if they are lines of wide-ruled paper. This flag, as the Pledge states, stands for "liberty and justice for all." But does it really provide those things to all its citizens? Throughout the pages of this book, various Black children ask the flag—and, by extension, the nation itself—do you love me back? It becomes a powerful refrain. Louisiana Creole words are mixed in with Spanish and English. Like most of the pictures in this book, the people are colored with shades of gray, but they have a variety of natural hairstyles, braids, and beautiful hats. Besides gray, the only other colors that appear are red, white, and blue. Shirts and blouses are white, the sky is a pale blue, church walls are a vibrant red. The patriotic symbolism is evident, but because color is used so sparingly, and the narrative arc so muted, the sequencing can start to lag. This book interrogates the concept of a nation that asks for unconditional love, respect, and honor but does not provide them to all its people, equally, in return. Back matter includes the author's mission statement, the history of Louisiana Creole, and pictures of the author with her family. VERDICT A book that encourages children to ask questions, this is a solid selection for all Americans.—Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA
★ 2021-02-09
Front and back endpapers picture a United States flag with the Pledge of Allegiance printed in childlike handwriting. Within, gray-toned illustrations with accents of red, blue, and white depict people of color of all ages in outdoor and indoor settings: cities, fields and beaches, churches and schools. The text reads like a poem, narrated by a first-person voice who is, at first, unsure of their inclusion in the bold, brave United States. “Do you love me?” the voice asks its country. A series of questions addressed to “America,” some literal and some figurative, reveal an obsession with and a lack of confidence in the narrator’s relationship with their country, until at last the voice concludes that, despite all these questions, “America, I am you . / America, you are me .” The text incorporates occasional phrases in Louisiana Creole and in Spanish (both without translation), a choice that is explained in the author’s note as a reflection of her heritage. Through simple, poetic language and stark, symbolic imagery, Peoples-Riley delivers another powerful representation of the complex relationship between people of color and the country whose past and present call its love for some of its people into question. This book answers a deep fear about wholeness and belonging as it invites young readers to grow into its message.
A sensitive rendering of the conflict at the core of double consciousness. (Picture book. 4-9)
