Dressmaker and Poet, Myra Viola Wilds
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Cameron Kids/Abrams
(pub. 1.14.2025.)
32 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Nancy Johnson James
Illustrator: Diana Ejaita
Character: Myra VIola Wilds
Overview:
" What dreams do you carry? Myra Viola Wilds dreamed of opportunity.
She left her home in rural Kentucky for the city, learned to read and to write, and became a dressmaker. She hand-stitched gorgeous gowns. She worked so hard she lost her eyesight, and her world went dark. But those well-loved stitches turned into words, and one night Myra woke in the middle of the night and wrote a poem she called “Sunshine.”
She kept writing. She wrote the lush green, sweet-corn yellow, cerulean blue, sunshine-y world from memory, collecting her poems into a book called Thoughts of Idle Hours, published in 1915."
Tantalizing taste:
"Dream a dress that is a poem,
like Myra would have made.
Words with color, form, and song.
Lines stitched short, curved, and long.
Dream a dream when you struggle,
between a painful past and a hopeful tomorrow.
Remember when light began to fade.
Myra's art could still be made."
And something more: The book beings with one of her poems:
"Thoughts" by Myra Viola Winds
What kind of thoughts now, do you carry
In your travels day by day
Are they bright and lofty visions,
Or neglected, gone astray?
Matter not how great in fancy
Or what deed of skill you've wrought;
Man, though high may be his station,
Is not better than his thoughts.
Catch your thoughts and hold them tightly,
Let each one an honor be;
Purge the, scourge them, burnish brightly,
Then in love set each one free."
- Feb 19
How James Baldwin Became a Writer
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Little, Brown Books
for Young Readers
(pub.1.7.2025)
40 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Quartez Harris
Illustrator: Gordon C. James
Character: James Baldwin
Overview:
"Before James Baldwin was a celebrated novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and activist, he was a boy who fell in love with stories. Words opened up new worlds for young Jimmy, who read and wrote at every opportunity. He ultimately realized his dreams of becoming an author and giving voice to his community, and in doing so he showed the world the fullness of Black American life."
Tantalizing taste:
"He earned enough money to travel far away from this troubles.
He flew to France, with dreams of writing a book of his own.
He saw mountains taller than the hill he climbed in Central Park. He knew that on those mountaintops he would find his peace and reach for new words.
So with his typewriter tucked under his arm, he began to climb ...
On that mountaintop, he found a clearer view of himself and of the world. He struck keys to heal his heart. His words spilled out of his typewriter and across the sky."
And something more: The More About James Baldwin explains: "In 1948, Jimmy packed up his ink-filled journals and flew to Paris with only forty dollars in his pocket. There, he wrote his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, loosely based on his childhood. It was widely praised for capturing the life of Black Americans and for its rigorous examination of historical racism. This book launched his career as a literary figure."
How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Zando – Hillman Grad Books
(pub.10.22.2024)
48 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Jay Leslie
Illustrator: Loveis Wise
Character: Lorraine Hansberry
Overview:
" As a young girl, playwright Lorraine Hansberry walked everywhere with a notebook, eager to capture the sights, sounds, and stories of the people around her.
First Lorraine watched her parents’ triumph in the Supreme Court case of Hansberry v. Lee. Then she discovered the magic of theater. Next, she unlocked the power of her voice, crafting A Raisin in the Sun. Her play went on to influence generations of artists and the world was never the same."
Tantalizing taste:
"Lorraine climbed onstage as the chanting exploded into applause.
Years ago, people had tried to silence Lorraine's family.
Now their voices rang out in the biggest show on Broadway.
Her father's words came back to her.
Our stories can change the world.
'You're right, Papa,' she whispered."
And something more: Jay Leslie explained in A Note from the Author: "Lorraine Hansberry was an iconic writer who refused to be silenced - her voice rang out across the world. I was drawn to Lorraine's story because Lorraine was proud to be different... Like Lorraine, you can speak out for what you believe in. Your words are powerful, and your voice is strong."
In an interview with TeachingBooks, illustrator Loveis Wise answered the question of 'describe the book in three words': "I would describe this book as a book that speaks to resiliency, that speaks to legacy, that also just speaks to finding empowerment within oneself in such a deep way... I think Lorraine, in even her short life, built so much of a legacy, inspired by her family and what she went through as a youth that really catalyzed her into being this brilliant artist and thinker that inspired generations."
