The Soot
When the sky turns black with soot, one curious child discovers how to heal our planet Start your child’s day with a journey of wonder, empathy, and hope in The Soot, a beautifully illustrated wordless picture book perfect for kids ages 4-6, best books for 4 year olds, and families searching for award winning children's books. In a modern city where mornings begin pink and bright, a young Black girl wakes to her favorite teddy bear and magical unicorn—symbols of joy and innocence. But when thick, dark soot suddenly rolls over the skyline, her world changes in an instant, turning cheerful streets into shadowy gray. With her loving mother by her side, she seeks answers and comfort, her story capturing the hearts of readers looking for books for black girls, black girl books, and African American books for kids. The Soot uses bold colors, expressive faces, and powerful visual metaphors—like the soot monster and the crying Earth—to introduce air pollution and environmental awareness in a way that’s accessible for young children. This book is a must-have for parents and teachers seeking eco-friendly stories, tree planting books, and books about environmental issues for children. If your family loves Journey by Aaron Becker, Extra Yarn, The Book with No Pictures, or classics by David Wiesner and Sandra Boynton, you’ll find The Soot a perfect addition to your collection of best wordless picture books and award winning children's books. Ideal for classroom read alouds, popup books for kids 3-5, and as a thoughtful gift for kids books ages 4-6, this story empowers children to build empathy, take action, and believe that small acts—like planting a tree—can make a big difference
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Bestselling author of mystery novels, weaving suspense and intrigue. Captivating readers with every page turn.
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The sudden contrast from the beautiful and vibrant pink room to the dark, grey soot grabbed my attention immediately. I loved the little details of the clouds actually being lips that suck up the soot to match Chisom’s imagination. I also really loved that in the end, her mother didn’t just use words to settle Chisom’s fears, but used her actions by planting a sapling with her.
A delightful and culturally sensitive introduction to environmentalism, with lush illustrations, this short title is sure to spark conversation and ignite young minds.
What a cute way to introduce to children a way to start caring about the planet! The art felt very diverse and unique. It was a good message, and a good read that would be informative for children! Thanks for the Arc read!
A short, sweet book about climate anxiety in children, the ending is a little abrupt (one more page with a "this is how we can help" type thing would feel more final I suspect), but it's a nice explainer in story form for a small child I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review
"The Soot" by Ayo Oyeku is a charming story about a little girl who is concerned about pollution negatively affecting the planet. I think this story can serve as a great introduction to air pollution for children because it explains the topic in very simple terms. The representation of soot acting like a suffocating blanket around the Earth was very clever, and it really communicates a sense of urgency to help the planet. The illustrations were detailed and unique, and I appreciated the bright colors of the illustrations, which will not only help keep a child's attention while reading but also provide a nice contrast to the dark soot. The transitions between scenes were a little clunky, and the ending was a little abrupt, but the message is definitely received.
I think this is a wonderful book to introduce children to concepts of environmental issues. The book has beautiful illustrations and make it easy for kids to to follow along.
For the most part I liked this book, but I thought that it ended abruptly. I would have liked to see at least one last sentence, just to add a note finality to the story. The book could still be open-ended, but a little bit of closure is still nice. However, that is my only critique for this book. I really liked the general message of this book, and I think that it is very important for kids to learn just how important trees are for both us and the Earth. This book does a great job of making air pollution and trees very easy-to-understand for little kids, and the information included in this story will definitely be relevant past childhood, so I applaud that choice. Lastly, I thought that the illustrator did a splendid job of conveying Chisom's various emotions at different points in the story, and it really helps readers become more involved in the book.
The story is cute and well written giving a good intro to children on how respect the planet but the netgalley copy was so messy it was terrible. The illustrations were good.