A potent example of the reach of artistic genius.
An acclaimed writer pays homage to a literary icon.
Toni Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford to a loving family in Lorain, Ohio. Their home teemed with stories and spirituals, fueling her passion for words. Chloe was the only Black girl in her class and the first to read. When she grew up and went away to Howard University, she changed her first name to Toni; an avid student, she was at last surrounded by other Black scholars. Her post-college career saw her connect with Black writers; as an editor, she helped them usher their work into the world. She worked on her own stories, eventually publishing her groundbreaking first novel, The Bluest Eye. Throughout her career, Morrison’s love for her people placed their lived experiences within the tapestry of the human narrative. This free verse ode is more than a biography; it’s a tribute to the power of the literary life and community. Pinkney’s choice to echo the phrase “and she was loved” is a dramatic way of highlighting the encouragement and support Morrison received—which she gave back through her stories. In a moving essay in the backmatter, Pinkney discusses in more detail why Morrison’s legacy matters. Minter’s evocative illustrations pair perfectly with the lyrical text; saturated depictions of his subject contrast with silhouettes and outlined images of young people dancing and playing—a reminder of that rich community in which Morrison blossomed.
A potent example of the reach of artistic genius. (artist’s note, timeline, selected works of Toni Morrison, sources consulted) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780316182362
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A unique angle on a watershed moment in the civil rights era.
The New Orleans school child who famously broke the color line in 1960 while surrounded by federal marshals describes the early days of her experience from a 6-year-old’s perspective.
Bridges told her tale to younger children in 2009’s Ruby Bridges Goes to School, but here the sensibility is more personal, and the sometimes-shocking historical photos have been replaced by uplifting painted scenes. “I didn’t find out what being ‘the first’ really meant until the day I arrived at this new school,” she writes. Unfrightened by the crowd of “screaming white people” that greets her at the school’s door (she thinks it’s like Mardi Gras) but surprised to find herself the only child in her classroom, and even the entire building, she gradually realizes the significance of her act as (in Smith’s illustration) she compares a small personal photo to the all-White class photos posted on a bulletin board and sees the difference. As she reflects on her new understanding, symbolic scenes first depict other dark-skinned children marching into classes in her wake to friendly greetings from lighter-skinned classmates (“School is just school,” she sensibly concludes, “and kids are just kids”) and finally an image of the bright-eyed icon posed next to a soaring bridge of reconciliation. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A unique angle on a watershed moment in the civil rights era. (author and illustrator notes, glossary) (Autobiographical picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-75388-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
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