Children's Book Review: Soulful Struttin' by Julia Pierre Hammond, illustrated by Ana Latese

Soulful Struttin' by Julia Pierre Hammond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I never thought the act of cleaning the house could be so joyful!

Soulful Struttin’ is a new children’s picture book by Julia Pierre Hammond, gloriously illustrated by Ana Latese, that takes household chores and turns them into a joyful Sunday family tradition. Like Clara, the young protagonist, I never thought cleaning up could be such a playful experience and joyful only when behind us.

Clara’s father has two Sunday traditions:” singing and cleaning the house. While Clara (and probably every reader) thinks singing could be pretty sweet, she would heartily love to avoid the weekly cleanup. However, her playful, energetic, and upbeat father won’t even entertain doing otherwise. Soon, he has the entire family singing and swaying to his specially curated playlist of tunes to clean by. Time speeds by, and their home sparkles, as do everyone’s spirits.

The illustrations add to the absolute joy, with pictures that fairly dance off the page. As a bonus, the author includes the family’s perfect playlist for readers to recreate in their own music app and the recipe for Grandma Sentelia’s Gumbo. Get that gumbo simmering on the stove early in the day and relax with a ready and delicious meal after the chores are complete.

The plot reminds us all that chores go better with a positive attitude, compelling tunes, and the family working together as a team. Young readers will enjoy the fun story and vibrant illustrations, and everyone will have their favorite songs to add to the family’s musical playlist.

I recommend SOULFUL STRUTTIN’ to those with young readers and listeners.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy via Netgalley.


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