My Man Blue

This against-the-odds book from Grimes…tells of an African-Amer­i­can boy liv­ing in a neigh­bor­hood that cuts him no slack, and the man who helps keep his feet ground­ed and his self-esteem steady against the occa­sion­al buf­fet­ing of his peers … an old friend of the moth­er’s intro­duces him­self: Blue, a rather steely char­ac­ter wrapped in shades and enig­ma. Damon (who has just lost his father) is wary of Blue; he gives the man a chance only when it becomes evi­dent that Blue is not about to move in on Damon’s home turf … Blue … offers advice of haiku-like sim­plic­i­ty … anger is a dan­ger­ous waste, fear use­less unless sub­vert­ed, men don’t hit women … Lagar­rigue’s illus­tra­tions are brood­ing gar­dens of col­or … while Damon’s cool earnest­ness … courage and inde­pen­dence — bright­en each page. (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)