Art by Dare Coulter
5 stars
Masterful. This book is hard-hitting, beautiful, powerful, hopeful, unabashed, and well-told. It acknowledges that the histories and realities of the past can be hard to face and difficult to discuss. But encourages us all to keep fighting for a better future.
A story of hope and hardship, of remembering the past and working for the further, of not turning away when the story gets difficult. And the book is difficult to read at times. Despite the fantastic visuals, it’s tempting to look away. But Alexander does a great job of engaging with the reader through the comments and actions of the students in the story, focusing on hope and facing what is scary.
The artwork is truly remarkable. Coulter’s creations are a perfect compliment to Alexander’s lyrical text. The art combines sculpture, drawings, and paintings to shift between daily life in Africa, the experiences of enslaved people in America, and a modern day classroom figuring out how to talk about slavery. One thing I especially loved is that even when depicting hardships, racism, and enslavement, Coulter worked in so much Black joy. We see Black people with their children, dancing, and telling stories. While it’s important to acknowledge and recognize the horrors of enslavement, I love that the book does just sit in that trauma, but shows Black people doing their best to live their lives and fighting against injustice. A fantastic showing of joy and power.
As the end, Alexander discusses what sparked the story. Coulter also discusses her creative process including all the research, travel, and work that went into creating the art. A nice glimpse into what it can look like to be an illustrator.
A must-read. Nice resource for talking about slavery in America, acknowledging discomfort with the subject, and inspiring readers to work for change. This is a truly fantastic book.