Both a tribute to Hamilton’s genius and an invitation to those yet to come.
Poems and pictures trace Virginia Hamilton’s family history, childhood, and growth into a writer.
Virginia Hamilton was a MacArthur “Genius” and the first Black author to win the Newbery Medal. Crews wisely avoids introducing her subject as a great writer to picture-book readers unlikely to know her books already, instead focusing on the circumstances that helped to make her one. Hamilton’s ancestors fled slavery for the Ohio countryside, where the family flourished. Her parents nourished their youngest daughter’s imagination, captured in two tender poems. In the first, young Hamilton’s mother transforms a frightening storm into a dance between a tree she dubs Grandmother Lilac and the wind; in the other, her father plays mandolin and tells stories about great Black Americans. Cuddled in between, a poem entitled “Free”—set against a double-page illustration of Hamilton’s bare feet striding confidently through green grass—tells readers “Virginia was free. / To be a dreamer. / To be a wanderer. / To be her own unique self. / Free to be.” When a 9-year-old Hamilton decided to become a writer, “Nobody laughed or said, / ‘You can’t do that.’ ” In poem after poem—all in delicate, unrhymed verse—Crews carefully gives budding writers a role model. The digital illustrations have the look of cut-paper collage, excelling when offering visual metaphors but less effective when depicting narrative.
Both a tribute to Hamilton’s genius and an invitation to those yet to come. (author’s note, timeline, bibliographies) (Picture-book poetry/biography. 5-9)Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780316383592
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song.
Through the power of music, Lucimarian Tolliver is reminded of what’s important.
Lucy is one of the only children of African descent on her block—called Lucy Street—in 1930s Akron, Ohio, but all her neighbors share one commonality: poverty. Lucy’s carefree spirit is dampened when her family’s furniture is repossessed one day. She visits her grandfather, who comforts her by singing the folk standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Grandpa tells Lucy that she’s destined for greatness and that she should never stop singing, even through life’s toughest moments. Back at home, Lucy’s father scolds her for singing at the dinner table, so she quickly finishes eating and wanders outside and sings into the night. Her voice reaches her family and neighbors, who are all touched by her song. Digital illustrations evoke the time period in muted tones, featuring endearing characters with simple yet expressive features. The visual subject matter is repetitive from page to page, as are the incorporated lyrics of “This Little Light of Mine.” Based on Lucimarian Tolliver’s experiences growing up during the Depression, the text contains an epilogue but lacks backmatter detailing historical context or more information about Lucy’s life. Though the themes of optimism and the importance of family, faith, and music shine through the text, readers may be left with more questions than answers.
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780063222540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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