PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS

“When I was young and still wore slavery’s yoke, I was saved by hollyhocks, and a white man’s kindness.” So begins the tale of a little girl, born into slavery on a Georgia plantation. Her mother is sold and the only remembrance Priscilla has of her are the hollyhocks she planted. Old Sylvia teaches her how to make hollyhock dolls and float them on the pond. Priscilla is soon put to work in the big house and meets a white man named Basil Silkwood, who tells her she’s smart and should be in school. When the master dies, she’s sold to a Cherokee family and is a part of the painful Trail of Tears march. Incredibly, on her way through a town, she recognizes Silkwood and speaks out to him. He follows the march to the encampment and buys Priscilla’s freedom. She becomes a part of the Silkwood family and plants the hollyhocks with these words: “Grow, I sang to the seeds. Bloom, I commanded the plants. Safe, I told myself. Home.” Simple, bold colorful paintings enhance a text many young readers will be able to decipher. Historical note and instructions to make a hollyhock doll are appended. (Picture book. 6-8)