- Apr 4, 2022
the life & art of CORITA KENT
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Enchanted Lion Books
(pub.9.7.2021) 80 pages
Author: Matthew Burgess
Illustrator:Kara Kramer
Character: Corita Kent
Overview:
"Corita Kent (1918–1986) lived a remarkable life as an artist, educator, nun, and activist. Unapologetically holding true to herself and her beliefs, Corita spread a powerful message of love, hope, and justice with her work, as it evolved from figurative and religious art, to serigraphs incorporating the sacred and the ordinary, to a sparser, more introspective style.
This timely story will draw readers into the life of a singular woman whose work and commitment invite us all to seek joy in the everyday, to observe the world with open eyes, and to question and see beyond the existing frameworks of society."
Tantalizing taste:
" As an art teacher, Corita was serious about PLAY. She believed the best work is done when play and work are one.
She even created a new word: PLORK
In one assignment, Corita asked her students to cut a small window into a piece of cardboard to make a FINDER.
Together, they walked down Hollywood Boulevard to a gas station, car wash, and supermarket. She wanted her students to look at ordinary things until the little details came alive.
Pretend you are a microscope
'New ideas are bursting all around and all this comes into YOU and is changed by YOU.'"
And something more: Matthew Burgess, in the Author's Note, explains that "Like Keith Haring, another one of my artistic heroes, Corita believed that art is for everyone...Corita also believed that every person possesses creative potential, and as a teacher myself, I wholeheartedly agree."
Kara Kramer, in the Illustrator's Note, shares that "... I'm deeply grateful for this experience to collaborate with Claudia [at Enchanged Lion] and Matthew, and I like to think Corita, too, who seemed to be in the very air around me, especially in the beginning of this process. I remember walking my dog one day in Brooklyn and stopping because right there at my feet was a bag of popcorn, with the words 'fresh and hot,' printed in red, and a bird close by eating the crumbs. It felt likeg Corita was winking at me, reminding me to 'Go Slow,' and notice the WONDER happenin right before my eyes."
- Mar 28, 2022
Educator, Feminist, and Anti-Lynching Civil Rights Leader
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Henry Holt and Company
GODWINBOOKS (pub.1.4.2022) 48 pages
Author: Michelle Duster
Illustrator: Laura Freeman
Character: Ida B. Wells
Overview:
"Ida B. Wells was an educator, journalist, feminist, businesswoman, newspaper owner, public speaker, suffragist, civil rights activist, and women’s club leader.
She was a founder of the NAACP, the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Alpha Suffrage Club, and the Negro Fellowship League.
She wrote, spoke, and traveled, challenging the racist and sexist norms of her time.
Faced with criticism and threats to her life, she never gave up.
This is her extraordinary true story, as told by her great-granddaughter Michelle Duster and beautifully brought to life by Coretta Scott King Award Honoree artist Laura Freeman."
Tantalizing taste:
" One day in 1884, when Ida was in her early twenties, she was riding a train when the conductor asked her to move rom the 'ladies' car' to the 'colored car,' which doubled as the smoking car. She refused and was thrown off the train.
Rather than cower to the powers that be, she wrote about the incident in the newspaper and sued the Chesapeake, Ohio & Southwestern Railroad. She won the case and was awarded $500, even though it was appealed all the way to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Almost two and a half years later, the ruling was overturned in favor of the railroad, and Ida B. Wells was accused of harassing the company."
And something more: Michelle Duster, author of Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth, worked tirelessly with a committee for over thirteen years to develop a monument in honor of her great-grandmother. The monument was installed in 2021 and located on the land where the Ida B. Wells Homes public housing community once stood in Chicago.
- Mar 21, 2022
The Only Woman Whose Name Is on the Declaration of Independence
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Christy Ottaviano Books (pub.1.25.2022) 40 pages
Author: Ella Schwartz
Illustrator: Dow Phumiruk
Character: Mary Katharine Goddard
Overview:
"Born in 1738, Mary Katharine Goddard came of age in colonial Connecticut as the burgeoning nation prepared for the American Revolution. As a businesswoman and a newspaper publisher, Goddard paved the way for influential Revolutionary media. Her remarkable accomplishments as a woman defied societal norms and set the stage for a free and open press.
When the Continental Congress decreed that the Declaration of Independence be widely distributed, one person rose to the occasion and printed the document—boldly inserting her name at the bottom with a printing credit: Mary Katharine Goddard."
Tantalizing taste:
"Most parents in colonial America thought girls should only learn to cook, sew, and take care of the house, but Mary Katharine's parents disagreed. They wanted their daughter to have the same education as her brother, William. Mary Katharine learned how to read and write just as well as her brother. They were mostly taught by their mother, who encouraged the Goddard children to study Latin, ancient history, and classic literature. As a young girl, Mary Katharine realized that knowledge made her powerful."
And something more: In the interview of Dow and Ella on John Schu's Watch. Connect. Read. Dow shares more about this inspiring and beautifully illustrated book: "I am grateful for talented authors like Ella. Her meticulous research shines a light on Mary Katharine's life and accomplishments. I am also grateful for our editor Christy Ottaviano (Christy Ottaviano Books), who champions so many stories of influential and brave women like Mary Katharine."
And I agree! I too am grateful for the wonderful Christy Ottaviano.Christy was the editor of the children's picture book biography that Dow and I did together, MAYA LIN: Artist - Architect of Light and Lines, which shares the story of another inspiring and influential woman.
