Not Quite Snow White

By Ashley Franklin and Ebony Glenn

A picture book for magical yet imperfect children everywhere, written by debut author Ashley Franklin and perfect for fans of such titles as Matthew A. Cherry's Hair Love, Grace Byers's I Am Enough, and Lupita Nyong'o's Sulwe.

Tameika is a girl who belongs on the stage. She loves to act, sing, and dance—and she’s pretty good at it, too. So when her school announces their Snow White musical, Tameika auditions for the lead princess role.

But the other kids think she’s “not quite” right to play the role.

They whisper, they snicker, and they glare.

Will Tameika let their harsh words be her final curtain call?

Not Quite Snow White is a delightful and inspiring picture book that highlights the importance of self-confidence while taking an earnest look at what happens when that confidence is shaken or lost. Tameika encourages us all to let our magic shine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9780063068230

Ashley Franklin

Ashley Franklin is a professional chaser—of ideas, dreams, and, most often, her kids. She is the author of Not Quite Snow White and a contributor to Once Upon an Eid, a collection of brilliant Muslim voices and stories. Ashley lives in Arkansas with her husband, Michael, and her children, Bilal and Mikhail. You can visit her online at ashleyfranklinwrites.com.

Book preview

Reviews for Not Quite Snow White

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tameika is a little girl who loves to dance and sing, and loves to perform in shows at school. She had been a cucumber, a space cowgirl, a dinosaur, and a singing mermaid. But when she went to try out for the part of Snow White, the other kids laughed at her and told her she was “too tall,” too chubby,” and most importantly in their eyes, “too brown.”[The author did not point out the bizarre hypocrisy of people thinking Tameika apparently assembled a cucumber or dinosaur enough to play those roles, but not a white person. Adults could emphasize how bigotry plays a distorted role in perceptions.]Tameika was sad, and felt a loss of confidence. She confided her feelings to her parents, who assured her she had “just enough of the all the right stuff,” and was a princess in their eyes in any event.The next day, Tameika went to the audition, closed her eyes, “and imagined she was singing and dancing for her favorite audience of friends (stuffed and unstuffed).”The book ends showing the case of Snow White in front of a cheering audience, with Tameika playing the lead.Animation-inspired digital art by Ebony Glenn are colorful, active, and affirming. Evaluation: This story for ages 4 and up illustrates for kids the lesson brought home to adults in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Pulitzer Prize winning play and movie “Hamilton,” in which a cast of Black and brown actors filled the roles of historic white figures, and the results delighted everyone. Here too, we see that what counts for playing a part is not what color your skin is or what texture your hair is, but how much talent you have. We also see the strong role support by loving parents can play in the process.

[stephmward · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tameika is happiest when she's dancing, singing and performing. But when the kids at school think she wouldn't make a good princess in the play, she loses faith in herself. Can Tameika find her spark again and show everyone she's a star?

This sweet story helps children see that they can do anything they put their minds too, even when others doubt them. With her supportive parents beside her, Tameika finds the courage to be herself and shines with joy.

[melodyreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really lovely book, covering both a little girl's discovery that others see her differently, brilliantly supportive parents, and the simple joy of performing for the love of performing.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A talented and exuberant dancer, singer and actress, Tameika had starred in many of the stage plays put on at her school, so she eagerly tried out for the part of Snow White in the upcoming musical. Then she overheard some of her classmates talking about her, maintaining that she was too tall, too chubby, and too brown for the part. Terribly upset, she shared her troubles at home, and was assured that she was just right as she was. Faith restored, she returned to try-outs the next day and wowed the judges...Author Ashley Franklin makes her debut with Not Quite Snow White, teaming up with illustrator Ebony Glenn, who has also worked on such titles as Mommy's Khimar and Brave Ballerina. The story here is sweet and upbeat, communicating the message that talent is more important than identity, when it comes to acting and stage plays. It reminded me quite a bit of Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace, about a little black British girl who wants to play the part of Peter Pan in her school's play, and who must confront some of the same issues. The artwork from Glenn is colorful and cute, and will no doubt appeal to young children. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories that address appearance & race, and how those things might impact young people at school.