By and By

Charles Albert Tindley,
the Father of Gospel Music

Atheneum Books
for Young Readers
(pub. 1.14.2020) 
48 pages

A True Tale with

A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Carole Boston Weatherford
       and illustrator:  Bryan Collier

 
C haracter: Charles Albert Tindley

O verview: 

     "At a time when most African Americans were still enslaved, Charles Tindley was born free. His childhood was far from easy, with backbreaking hours in the fields, and no opportunity to go to school. But the spirituals he heard as he worked made him long to know how to read the Gospel for himself. Late at night, he taught himself to read from scraps of newspapers. From those small scraps, young Charles raised himself to become a founding father of American gospel music whose hymn was the basis for the Civil Rights anthem 'We Shall Overcome.'

      Told in lilting verse with snippets of spirituals and Tindley’s own hymns woven throughout, Carole Boston Weatherford’s lyrical words and Bryan Collier’s luminous pictures celebrate a man whose music and conviction has inspired countless lives."

T antalizing taste: 

"Berlin, Maryland, 1851.
Charles and Hester had a son.
Father, enslaved, but Mother, free;
The law spared me from slavery. 

Minding master, hired out to farms.

I think of children with parents at home ...
While mine are gone and I am alone.

Chants in the field at break of dawn.
Keep yo' han' on-a dat plow. Hold on!
Hold on!

Spirituals, first Bible that I heard.
I yearned for more - to read the Word."

And something more: In a joint interview by The Booking Biz with her artist/spoken word poet son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, Carole Boston Weatherford discusses where she gets ideas for her books: "I get inspiration from educators, family, my hometowns, my travels, the media and even music. I was moved to write BY AND BY: CHARLES A. TINDLEY, THE FATHER OF GOSPEL MUSIC after having listened to his hymns in church."  She also answers the question "If you ruled the world, what would it look like?": "More women would be in charge. There would be more equality and less of a wealth gap. Policies would value children, the elderly and people of color. The Golden Rule would rule."

Thurgood

Schwartz & Wade Books 

(Random House Books)
(pub. 9.3.2019) 
40 pages

A True Tale with

A Cherry On Top   

A uthor: Jonah Winter
and illustrator:   
Bryan Collier

 
C haracter: Thurgood Marshall

O verview: 

"FACT: Thurgood Marshall was a born lawyer, always arguing.

FACT: Thurgood Marshall grew up to become the first black justice on the Supreme Court.
  
FACT: Thurgood Marshall revolutionized America.
   
  Before Rosa Parks, before Martin Luther King Jr., before the civil rights movement, there was Thurgood, fighting for African Americans - and winning. Here is the powerful story of the trailblazer who proved separate is not equal."

T antalizing taste: 
     "As it turned out, this sloppy kid with untucked pockets had a knack for arguing. He became captain of his high school debate team - unparalleled in his debating AND talking skills. He gave epic classroom presentations - so long that his teachers would have to cut him off! No one could outtalk Thurgood - especially once he went to college ..."

And something more: The Author's Note states that "there is no single person in American history who contributed more to the cause of civil rights than Thurgood Marshall in terms of the sheer number of legal rights he secured through court battles.  Starting in 1936 with the University of Maryland case [whereby the law school would have to accept black students] and continuing through the twenty-nine Supreme Court cases he won as the NAACP's top lawyer until 1961; his fourteen Supreme Court victories a Solicitor General, and his profound legacy as a Supreme Court justice, Marshall helped to make America 'a more perfect union,' to quote the U.S. Constitution. He was a giant."

The 5 O'Clock Band

Abrams Books for Young Readers
(pub. 6.19.2018)
40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews with Bill Taylor
     Illustrator: Bryan Collier 

C haracter: Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

O verview from the jacket flap: 
     "WHERE Y'AT? WHERE Y'AT? 
      In this companion to the Caldecott Honor-and Coretta Scott King Award-winning TROMBONE SHORTY, join a young musician on a tour of his cherished hometown. After letting his band down by missing rehearsal, a boy called Shorty has some serious questions about what it means to be a leader. He hits the streets of New Orleans to find some answers and to soak up some inspiration. Along the way, he'll meet people who have their own special wisdom to share about being an artist, a leader, and a friend.
     In THE FIVE O'CLOCK BAND, Troy Andrews has crafted another unforgettable love letter to New Orleans, illustrated by the incomparable Bryan Collier."

T antalizing taste: 
      "Tuba Treme placed his giant horn to his lips. The first notes of 'When the Saints Go Marching In' tickled Shorty's ears. Like so many other New Orleans musicians, Shorty had learned how to play his horn with this tune. Pride swelled in Shorty's chest as he and Tuba played the same notes together that Louis Armstrong had played many years before them in these same city streets.
     'Tradition,' Tuba Treme said. 'Every bandleader needs to know where music came from in order to move it forward.'
    'If you understand tradition and you keep it alive, you will be a great bandleader.'"

    
and something more: In the AUTHOR'S NOTE, Trombone Shorty explains that "one of my city's - and our country's - greatest gifts to the world is our music. In New Orleans, we've created musical styles you won't find anywhere else.  We also have our own entirely unique culture, built of rituals and traditions that feel as old as our music... For me, making music represents society functioning at its best. When a group of individuals collaborate in harmony - with sincerity, spirit, and soul - they create something beautiful.  They face and overcome challenges. They aren't afraid to dream for the future. Growing up in Treme, I was encouraged to seek guidance from all the musicians who lived there. So I did."
      A portion of the proceeds of the book are donated to The Trombone Shorty Foundation which has the mission of preserving the rich musical culture of New Orleans, including mentoring young, talented New Orleans students to express themselves and pursue their dreams while also supporting the community.

Trombone Shorty

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Abrams Books for Young Readers

(pub. 4.14.2015) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

           and Illustrator: Bryan Collier

    

C haracter: Trombone Shorty

O verview from the jacket flap: 

    "'Who's that playing out there?,' Bo Diddley asked the New Orleans crowd. It was a small child who'd been nicknamed 'Trombone Shorty' because his trombone was twice as large as he was. Trombone Shorty was lifted in the air and carried through the audience until he reached the stage with Bo Diddley. He has been on stage ever since.
     Hailing from the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, where music always floated in the air. Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews didn't always have the money to buy an instrument, but he did have the dream to play music. This is the story of how he made his dream take flight."

T antalizing taste:  

     "All day long I could see brass bands parade by my house while my neighbors danced along. I loved these parades during Mardi Gras because they made everyone forget about their troubles for a little while. People didn't have a lot of money in Treme, but we always had a lot of music.
     I listened to all these sounds and mixed them together, just like how we make our food. We take one big pot and throw in sausage, crab, shrimp, chicken, vegetables, rice - whatever's in the kitchen - and stir it all together and let it cook. When it's done, it's the most delicious taste you've ever tried. We call it gumbo, and that's what I wanted my music to sound like - different styles combined to create my own musical gumbo!"

and something more:  Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I showed this picture book biography to my son who lived in New Orleans for a few years. And he responded, "Oh yeah! I've heard Trombone Shorty play. He's good!" 

     Of course, that inspired me to listen to Trombone Shorty's music again on his website, and my son's right. Trombone Shorty's good. Really good! And his music reminds me of the incredible vibe in New Orleans of amazing music heard everywhere from clubs to street corners to park benches. I actually first saw this book at a wonderful New Orleans' indie bookstore, Blue Cypress Books, down the street from a favorite restaurant and bar (where we met a fellow writer).

     I was interested to read about the Trombone Shorty Foundation, partnered with Tulane University, whose mission is "to preserve the rich musical history of New Orleans" by providing "music and business education, instruction and a mentorship experience to New Orleans high school students who are gifted in music. Experienced instructors help young underserved musicians express themselves and pursue their dreams while also supporting their community." Terrific!

Fifty Cents and a Dream

Young Booker T. Washington

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Little, Brown Books
(pub. 12.4.2012) 48 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Jabari Asim

     and Illustrator:  Bryan Collier

C haracter: Booker T. Washington

O verview from the jacket flap: 

      "Born into slavery, Booker T. Washington could only dream of learning to read and write. After emancipation, young Booker began a five-hundred-mile journey, mostly on foot, to Hampton Institute, taking his first of many steps toward a college degree. When he arrived, he had just fifty cents in his pocket and a dream about to come true. The former slave who once waited outside the schoolhouse would one day become a legendary educator of freedom.
        Acclaimed author Jabari Asim and celebrated artist Bryan Collier capture the hardship and the spirit of one of the most inspiring figures in American history, bringing to life Booker T. Washington's journey to learn, read, and realize a dream."

        

T antalizing taste: 

"Like any boy,
Booker longed to play, run, and jump
beneath the blue skies and bright sun.

Most of all, he longed to learn.
Booker dreamed
of making friends with words,
setting free the secrets 
that lived in books...

Trudging beneath the bleak skies
and bitter cold, he could have given up.
Then he imagined the library at Hampton,
magic and mystery lining its shelves.
From deep inside, he heard a voice
urging him to press on.
He listened, and dreamed."

                       

and something more: I thought Bryan Collier's illustration that portrays Booker T. Washington kneeling and praying is particularly powerful. The background image of trees is filled with images of slaves representing his former older neighbors who told him their stories. The power of dreams, words and communal stories!

Dave the Potter -- Artist, Poet, Slave

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Little Brown and Company (pub. 9.7.2010)
40 pages  Grades K-4

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top 

A uthor:  LABAN CARRICK HILL

               and Illustrator:  BRYAN COLLIER

C haracter: Dave, a South Carolina artist,

                     potter and poet who inscribed
                     his poems on the pots he created
                     even though it was illegal for slaves
                     to read or write

O verview from the jacket flap:                                           

"To us                                                                              
it is just dirt,
the ground we walk on...
But to Dave
it was clay,
the plain and basic stuff
upon which he formed a life
as a slave nearly 200 years ago.

      Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter who lived in South Carolina in the 1800s.  He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved on his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave.  In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal... Dave's remarkable story [is] one rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty."

T antalizing taste:

"Each one began

out of clouds of dust,

clotted clumps of clay

ground in the pug mill and carried,

wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow,

to Dave's spinning potter's wheel."

and something more:  Bravo!  Just two weeks ago, it was announced that the children's picture book biography, DAVE THE POTTER, was named a Caldecott Honor Book, and Bryan Collier will be presented with the Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. "Bryan Collier has crafted a stunning visual tribute to the life of an unsung American artist," said Jonda C. McNair, award jury chair.

      Bryan Collier's incredible watercolor and collage illustrations, with powerful words and images of people woven into the backgrounds, remind me of the art of Romare Bearden. After being captivated by his work shown at an exhibit at SFMOMA curated by Ruth Fine of The National Gallery, I wrote a picture book about him (MY HANDS SING THE BLUES illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, Marshall Cavendish Childrens, Fall 2011).  When I toured school groups at this exhibit, children were mesmerized by the amazing collages and always found a sense of connection to the stories and people in Romare Bearden's art.  

     Bryan Collier's biography says that "he directs mural programs throughout the city for any child who wants to paint."  What a wonderful gift he is sharing! After being Program Director for 12 years, he still volunteers with the Harlem Horizon Studio and Harlem Hospital Center with a program that provides working space and materials for self-taught artists in the community. 
     As he explains, "It gives the community, the schools, the kids, and the parents the opportunity to come together for a very positive uplifting cause - the building and re-building of self-esteem, teaching the appreciation of art, and keeping the kids connected and involved and away from negative influences."

     Bryan's Collier's dedication in DAVE THE POTTER says "I dedicate this book to all artists, and everyone who loves picture books.  Because this story is really about the power of the human spirit, artistry, and truth, and that cannot be silenced by bondage of any kind."

     The power of words and art is embodied in Dave's poetry and the art of his pottery, and the poetry and illustrations of DAVE THE POTTER.