Cape by Kevin Johnson

Abstract

Reviewed by: Cape by Kevin Johnson Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Johnson, Kevin Cape; illus. by Kitt Thomas. Roaring Brook, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250840509 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 4-8 yrs Our young Black protagonist knows the day ahead will be hard, so after getting dressed in his new suit, he makes sure to also put on his bright red cape. He’s hoping [End Page 328] the cape will hold off any unwelcome memories as he and his auntie “ride in a slow parade of cars,” eventually coming to a cemetery where they bury his father. After, family and friends fill the house, telling stories and sharing pictures, but the boy holds fast to his cape, wanting nothing to do with other people, and instead runs from his memories: “Memories make my swallow hurt. I block them with my cape. I fly them to outer space. I hide them in a sunken ship on the ocean floor.” Of course, even his best efforts can’t stop the grief, and as he finally lets himself remember his father, he also remembers the love they shared. The boy’s narration is simple, weighted with an aching loss that turns each delicate phrase into a profound moment of grief (“There’s no rain, but my cape gets wet,” he says as they stand graveside). Thomas’ digital illustrations echo that pain with a keen effectiveness, especially in the boy’s body language, as he alternates between a protective slouch covered by the cape, a swirl of anger as he tries to hide the memories away, and finally, an open armed hug for his auntie. Mourners are cast in shadow as the boy walks stoically with his cape flying behind him, but slowly, yellow orbs fill the pages, at first hinting at shapes and then shifting into clear scenes of the boy’s father as the boy opens up to his grief. Paired with Howden’s The Tunnel (BCCB 02/22), this offers comfort and sympathy to mourning readers. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois