Rap It Up!

Mother-son collaborators the Weatherfords (Kin) present a lyrical ode to hip-hop music through a young protagonist who offers readers an invitation: “You can learn to rap from me.” Via freestyle-feeling rhymes, the narrator outlines needed supplies (“a pencil and some paper./ Cop a notebook, too, ’cause you’re gonna need it later”) and discusses how to write “what you care about” (“Shout out your hopes and heroes. Boast and don’t be shy./ Write what matters most to you./ Keep it fresh and fly”). Martinez, making a picture book debut, follows the protagonist from toddlerhood to childhood in bold illustrations that get at hip-hop’s vital energy. One spread showcases a tree growing with words in the branches, accompanied by the empowering lines, “As you write, remember that rap is poetry./ With rhythm, rhyme, and flow, your words can grow a tree.” It’s a rhythmic text that offers craft advice (“metaphors, alliteration, idioms, similes,/ personification, puns, slammin’ soliloquies”) alongside a fervent promise of creative fulfillment (“In the hip-hop zone,/ your words can set you free!”). Characters are portrayed with brown skin. An author’s note and glossary conclude. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)