Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she wassold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only somefabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together brightpatches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches withsecret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways -- maps forslaves to follow to freedom. When she grew up and had a littlegirl, she passed on this knowledge. And generations later, Soonie-- who was born free -- taught her own daughter how to sewbeautiful quilts to be sold at market and how to read. From slaveryto freedom, through segregation, freedom marches and the fight forliteracy, the tradition they called Show Way has been passed downby the women in Jacqueline Woodson's family as a way to rememberthe past and celebrate the possibilities of the future. Beautifullyrendered in Hudson Talbott's luminous art, this moving, lyricalaccount pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledgeilluminate their daughters' lives.
Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze, come smell your way among the trees, come touch rough bark and leathered leaves: Welcome to the night. Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter.Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk.Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time inthe light. Where the porcupette eats delicacies—raspberryleaves!—and coos and sings. Come out to the cool, night wood, and buzz and hoot and howl—butdo beware of the great horned owl—for it’s wild and it’s windy wayout in the woods! This Newbery Honor-winning picture book combines beautifullywritten poetry with facts of the forest and elaborate illustrationsto form a marvelously engaging collection.
"Outstanding book with beautiful colored illustrations andmarginal drawings similar to those in his previous books. Wideinterest level including adults." School Library Journal,Starred
When you lose hope, find it. —Timmy Failure
