JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile
How do you teach the story of slavery in America? That’s the challenge addressed in this inspired poem narrated by Stacy Gonzalez. A teacher discusses the painful truths about slavery with her class of incredulous students who try to comprehend the horror, the sadness, and their teacher’s distress. As Gonzalez speaks in tones taut with emotion, a sense of foreboding and fear is enhanced by agitated drumbeats in the background. Gonzales does minimal character differentiation. She lets the words and their meaning command all the attention. Gradually, the voices grow more confident and defiant—affirming that people must speak out about slavery’s impact on history. Listeners may want the print book’s illustrations at hand to further their understanding of the text and the endnotes. S.A.A. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 12/19/2022
Alexander begins this picture book with a vital question: “How do you tell a story/ that starts in Africa/ and ends in horror?” As Coulter’s art alternates between elaborately sculpted historical scenes and contemporary charcoal vignettes of schoolchildren in a classroom, the following pages reveal a history that “hurts/ and still loves.” Images of photographed clay figures against painted backgrounds begin in Africa, where children “finish chores/ play games/ listen to old tales.” Pages next portray enslaved African people in the bowels of a ship and toiling “for free” in America, as well as “refusing/ to stop smiling/ and loving.” It’s a layered, compassionate telling that considers how to relay difficult truths, and as the art converges into a visual of past and present together, stirring concluding lines suggest a route forward: “by holding/ history/ in one hand/ and clenching/ hope/ in the other.” Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
Praise for An American Story An Indie Next List Pick *"Beautifully crafted and brutally honest, this offers a thoughtful introduction to a necessary topic." —Booklist, starred review
*"With powerful art from a bold new talent, this is a probing and sensitive take on a devastating chapter of U.S. history."—Kirkus, starred review
*"Alexander and Coulter have created a powerful counternarrative in their efforts to answer the question, “How do you tell a story about slavery?”—Horn Book, starred review
*"A layered, compassionate telling that considers how to relay difficult truths, and as the art converges into a visual of past and present together, stirring concluding lines suggest a route forward."—Publisher's Weekly, starred review
School Library Journal
★ 12/01/2022
PreS-Gr 3—In lyrical verse, Alexander tells the powerful story of American slavery and African resilience through the eyes of a teacher navigating students through this horrific period in American history. The shifting narrative moves between the teacher's account and the students' reactions, with Alexander magnifying the unfolding terror of a people stolen from home and thrust into slavery: "About sly men/ from cold places/ scheming/ and laughing/ on tall ships…/ while people/ shackled below,/ crammed in/ small, hot spaces,/ cry and/ sometimes die." Coulter's stunning mixed- media artwork illustrates the unflinching brutality of slavery and the beauty of a resilient people who "hold history in one hand and clench hope in the other." Classroom scenes are sketched in black against a warm yellow background, with expressive students and teacher working through the difficult lesson. Author and illustrator notes provide further context. VERDICT An excellent and essential first purchase for all collections; whether for curriculum-building or classroom-sharing, this book is unforgettable.—Rosemary Kiladitis
JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile
How do you teach the story of slavery in America? That’s the challenge addressed in this inspired poem narrated by Stacy Gonzalez. A teacher discusses the painful truths about slavery with her class of incredulous students who try to comprehend the horror, the sadness, and their teacher’s distress. As Gonzalez speaks in tones taut with emotion, a sense of foreboding and fear is enhanced by agitated drumbeats in the background. Gonzales does minimal character differentiation. She lets the words and their meaning command all the attention. Gradually, the voices grow more confident and defiant—affirming that people must speak out about slavery’s impact on history. Listeners may want the print book’s illustrations at hand to further their understanding of the text and the endnotes. S.A.A. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-11-16
“How do you tell a story / that starts in Africa / and ends in horror?”
Alexander uses multiple voices to weave this poem about a teacher who takes on the difficult but necessary task of starting a classroom conversation about slavery. Between the theft of people from the African continent and the sale of people in America, from the ships that brought them and the ocean that swallowed some of them to their uncompensated work and the breakup of families, Alexander introduces objections from the implied listeners (“But you can’t sell people,” “That’s not fair”), despair from the narrating adult, encouragement from the youth, and ultimately an answer to the repeated question about how to tell this story. Rising star Coulter’s mixed-media art elevates the lyrical text with clarity and deep emotion: Using sculpted forms and paintings for the historical figures gives them a unique texture and lifelike fullness, while the charcoal drawings on yellow paper used for the present-day student-teacher interactions invite readers to step inside. Where Coulter combines the two, connecting past with present, the effect is stunning. Both young readers and adults unsure of how to talk about this painful past with children will find valuable insights.
With powerful art from a bold new talent, this is a probing and sensitive take on a devastating chapter of U.S. history. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Informational picture book. 6-10)
