The three navigate high stress situations, all the while, presenting a very real, entertaining, and enjoyable story about 3 little buddies having adventures and exploring their neighborhoods. In this story, Grimes uses Dyamonde, her new friend Free, and their mutually made, new friend Aisha in order to create a dialogue for kids about anger, sorrow, loss, fear, hunger, and community. Grimes often pairs friendships across gender and/or financial and/or race lines, but she doesn't do it in a 'blind' way- within these friendships, the kids discuss difficult topics and bring attention- with words- the reality that, if these were biographical stories, the characters would have noticed and felt in 'real life'. She makes boys thoughtful, introspective, able to apologize, and kind, and she makes girls the same. But she does make women strong and brave and curious, and she makes boys the same. It's subtle and moderate- Grimes doesn't 'queer' the configuration of femininity or masculinity- nothing is that drastic about her work. In this fantastic follow-up to Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel, Nikki Grimes tackles big issues like homelessness in a sensitive, kid-friendly way. What's becoming one of my favorite attributes of Grimes' writing is her very natural play with gender norms. She's imaginative, playful, proactively willful, and strong, but she's also thoughtful and kind. But that's a little the point- Dyamonde is a little girl who sees and understands with empathy and wisdom uncommonly attributed to children. The tone and problem-solving of the protagonist Dyamonde (pronounced "Diamond") genuinely sounds like a young child's, albeit a bit more reformed than the typical elem.
Grimes has a knack for writing in the voice of a child without sounding like an adult trying to do so.
This advanced 2nd - beginner 4th grade book is really precious.
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