A Crown of Stories: The Life and Language of Beloved Writer Toni Morrison
From award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford comes a captivating picture book biography about the incredible life of esteemed author, editor, and activist Toni Morrison, featuring gorgeous illustrations by debut artist Khalif Tahir Thompson.
How do you tell a story?
Before Toni Morrison was a Pulitzer Prize winner and Nobel Prize-winning author, she was Chloe Ardelia Wofford, a little girl in Ohio who was both the only Black child in her first-grade classroom and the only student who was able to read.
This is the true story of how that young girl learned from her upbringing, surrounded herself with stories, and made a tremendous impact on the world. Toni Morrison's pen was her sword, and she grew to be a titan of the arts. Her legacy is one that still touches readers to this day.
Expertly and evocatively told by award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford, with beautiful painted illustrations by Khalif Tahir Thompson, this is a must-have picture book biography for any collection. It celebrates Toni Morrison's legacy while inspiring readers to create art, believe in themselves, and strive for greatness.
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Carole Boston Weatherford is the award-winning author of more than 50 books of poetry, nonfiction, and children's literature. She is the recipient of a Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Author Honor, two NAACP Image Awards, a WNDB Walter Award, and numerous other accolades. Her books include I, Matthew Henson; Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive; and Be a King. She resides in North Carolina where she teaches at Fayetteville State University.
cbweatherford.com
Khalif Tahir Thompson graduated from Purchase College with a BFA and has since completed fellowships at the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in NYC and the Vermont Studio Center. He has also done the Jerome Emerging Artist residency at the Anderson Center and received a 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in painting. Thompson traveled to Dakar, Senegal, to participate as a 2022 Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence. He is currently attending the Yale School of Art for an MFA in painting and printmaking. A Crown of Stories is his first picture book.
"Thoughtful. Attending closely observed second-person text that puts the reader in Morrison's shoes, debut artist Tahir Johnson combines media, including paint and collage, lending textured depth to portraits of a creator whose stories 'get under our skin, next to our hearts, and inside our souls.'" -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Weatherford skillfully weaves together the various aspects of the writer's life in a lyrical account that flows and reveals her rich contributions. Weatherford emphasizes the role of listening, grounding Morrison in her family and community. Making wonderful use of collage, Thompson's evocative paintings enhance the text, beginning with a striking cover image. Transcendent and deeply resonant." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Both the reverent art and the text provide an intimate glimpse into Morrison's remarkable life story." -- Horn Book (starred review)
"This combination of vibrant images with compelling text gives readers a visceral experience. In addition to being a useful mentor text on the second-person voice, this is an excellent addition to biography collections and displays highlighting Black and Women's History months." -- School Library Journal
"An excellent book to read to younger children. Weatherford's narrative and Thompson's works also importantly put Morrison's life and work in context of her times. Public and school libraries will want to have this work in their collections." -- Booklist
"A solid entry point into the how and why of Morrison's storytelling, a fitting crown that encourages readers to seek out more of Morrison's uplifting complexity." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
