Bling Blaine: Throw Glitter, Not Shade

K-Gr 2–An awe-inspiring picture book with a shiny message: Glitter is not just for girls. Blaine, with black hair, brown skin, and huge eyes to match his gigantic gestures, enjoys being expressive by using sparkle and glitter on anything he wears. He adorns his backpack with sequins, he bedazzles his sneakers, and when he visits the school library he creates “glossy stickers.” He is known as the boy who adores his dazzle and sparkle. But not everybody is comfortable with Blaine and his sequins; other students began to shout at him that such things are for girls only, and a boy calls Blaine a sissy. Blaine stops using sequins and glitter, and the days are drab. What happens next is a show of solidarity: Sara and all Blaine’s friends start wearing sequins and bedazzling their school uniforms. Blaine gets his bling back, but feels sparkly on the inside, too.This socially conscious book works as a simple tale of acceptance, but also lightly touches on bullying and herd mentality. Readers will rejoice that the children took matters into their own hands, while also enjoying Rizzo’s colorful scenes of a diverse population.