Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston

by Alicia D. Williams, Jacqueline Alcïntara (Illustrator)

Overview

From the Newbery Honor–winning author of Genesis Begins Again comes a shimmering picture book that shines the light on Zora Neale Hurston, the extraordinary writer and storycatcher extraordinaire who changed the face of American literature.

Zora was a girl who hankered for tales like bees for honey. Now, her mama always told her that if she wanted something, “to jump at de sun”, because even though you might not land quite that high, at least you’d get off the ground. So Zora jumped from place to place, from the porch of the general store where she listened to folktales, to Howard University, to Harlem. And everywhere she jumped, she shined sunlight on the tales most people hadn’t been bothered to listen to until Zora. The tales no one had written down until Zora. Tales on a whole culture of literature overlooked...until Zora. Until Zora jumped.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534419131
Publisher:	Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publication date:	01/12/2021
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	95,634
Product dimensions:	11.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD1030L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Alicia D. Williams is the author of Genesis Begins Again, which received Newbery and Kirkus Prize honors, was a William C. Morris Award finalist, and for which she won the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent; and picture books Jump at the Sun and The Talk which was also a Coretta Scott King Honor book. An oral storyteller in the African American tradition, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jacqueline Alcántara is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed The Field and Freedom Soup. Her favorite days are spent drawing, painting, writing, and walking her dog. In 2016, she was awarded the inaugural We Need Diverse Books Illustrator mentorship. Find out more at JacquelineAlcantara.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/07/2020

Newbery Honoree Williams crafts distinctive prose evoking Black folktales from the American South in this picture book biography of Zora Neale Hurston, “a girl who was attracted to tales like mosquitos to skin.” In colloquial and figurative language (“She spooned out Eatonville trickster tales to whoever’d sop ’em up”), Williams centers Hurston’s love of storytelling, following her life from her childhood spent listening to tales on a general store porch and her mother’s early encouragement to “jump at de sun,” to being evicted at age 14 by her stepmother, enrolling in high school at age 26, writing during the Harlem Renaissance, and “collect Negro folklore” around the world. Alcántara matches Williams’s skillful narrative with fluid, atmospheric art that uses speech bubbles to add further dimension. A lively, joyfully rendered portrait of a literary legend. Back matter includes an author’s note, additional reading, and sources. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

*"A lively, joyfully rendered portrait of a literary legend."Weekly

* “Williams’ narration is a readaloud dream....it will be a joyful guide for folklore enthusiasts

starred review BCCB

*"A lively, joyfully rendered portrait of a literary legend."

Publisher Weekly

★ 02/01/2021

K-Gr 3—This vibrant portrait of the early life and career of Black American writer Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) is sure to inspire young readers. Newbery Honor–winning author Williams follows Hurston from her childhood in Florida through her success as a writer in New York, emphasizing her efforts to reach each milestone in her career. Hurston is characterized as tenacious, and she overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles to pursue her dream. Alcántara's luminous illustrations will immediately engage readers, with saturated colors and captivating use of shadow and light. The narrative showcases a strong sense of setting. Readers can envision a lush Floridian landscape during Hurston's younger years, and later, the energy and promise of the Harlem Renaissance. Williams's lively prose employs dialect and a conversational style; it begs to be read aloud. The tone is a fitting tribute to Hurston's writing style and her work in researching and preserving African American folktales. This title is more of an inspirational story of grit and determination than a resource for school reports, but an author's note provides additional details about Hurston's life and work and includes further resources. VERDICT A welcome addition to any picture book biography collection; Williams deftly underscores the value of perseverance and education while highlighting the achievements of an influential Black female author.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Lib., CA

School Library Journal

★ 2020-11-18
From her girlhood days to her legacy as a writer for the ages, Zora Neale Hurston is introduced to young readers.

“In a town called Eatonville—where the magnolias smelled even prettier than they looked…lived a girl who was attracted to tales like mosquitoes to skin.” Zora, clad in overalls and running through fields, loves being sent to Joe Clarke’s store, where she turns every quick errand into a chance to listen to the stories being told on the store’s porch. When she tells her own tales, her father and her grandmother punish her for “tellin’ lies,” but her mother values her stories and encourages her to “jump at [the] sun.” She wants more for her children than working the land. Sadly, her mother dies, but Zora remembers her encouragement throughout her life, which she spends in and out of different schools in different cities before finding her place in New York City as a writer and folklorist, a career that takes her back to her all-Black hometown to record those front-porch stories. Zora is depicted as the fun-loving, strong-willed person she most certainly was, and the text uses dialect as playfully as Zora did to transport readers into her world. Whimsical illustrations show Zora’s many worlds—country and city, school and social life—with energy and joy. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 58.6% of actual size.)

This introduction to an American icon feels just right. (author’s note, additional reading, sources) (Picture book/biography. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews