Illustrator, Olivia Smith, was inspired to start drawing as a child after going to the library. Inspired by books and cartoons, she has been creating art ever since. She now enjoys working digitally as well as with watercolor, and gouache and is inspired by fantasy and beauty. Olivia lives in California where she enjoys spending time with family and cooking.

Author Marcella White Campbell avoids being too on-the-nose with her text, never directly calling out Martha's race and Essie's religion. Instead she delicately describes segregation, Jim Crow cars, Purim, and a chuppah canopy over the bride and groom. This allows the illustrations to set the scene, with Black characters and Jewish representation such as Shabbat dinner, a shelved menorah, kippot, and a chuppah. Approaching the story so delicately allows for more flexible dialogue between caretaker and child, supplemented by detailed backmatter that contains information about racism, segregation, pogroms, the Holocaust, and more. The backmatter also contains biographical information on the two women who inspired this story, though it's likely that Essie would have been the great-great grandmother in real life given her birth year of 1893.

In terms of Jewish representation, Maya's Journey tells an immigration story that is likely familiar to many Ashkenazi Jews, whose families escaped pogroms or the Holocaust. However, the story is also a celebration of mixed heritage and blended families. The backmatter directly addresses that there are many ways to be a Jewish family and asks young readers how they would tell their own unique family's story.

The backmatter's acknowledgement of the diversity of Judaism makes it feel like this story will find a welcoming home within the Jewish community. Maya's Journey is a mirror in which Jewish children of blended heritage can see themselves. This story could also be used as an introduction for white Jewish children and their families to discuss diversity within the Jewish community. Outside of the Jewish community, it has potential to serve as a bridge, drawing parallels between the historical experiences of Jewish and Black ancestors.

This book would be well-suited for classrooms and libraries, where the history and modern day application of this story are poignant and timely.--Lauren Kasiarz "Jewish Book Garden (Association of Jewish Libraries)"