Review by Booklist Review
In properly oracular tones, Meadows retraces the career of a brilliant novelist and essayist, from early Harlem days of locking horns with his rigid and disapproving father through final expatriate years in France. Chronicling his efforts to "survive and find his rhythm," she highlights his early love of writing and reading, offers nods to literary mentors like Countee Cullen and Richard Wright, and celebrates his important contributions to the civil rights movement. She also frankly acknowledges the fears that ultimately drove him from this country--both his race and his intimate relationships with other men. In a set of dignified, restrained, warm-toned tableaus, Law depicts Baldwin growing from a bookish lad to a strong, cerebral figure, generally serious but last seen in genial conversation with visitors outside his Provençal home. An endpaper montage of portrait photos likewise catches his engaging grin, and though most readers may be a few years away from being ready to tackle his writing, the back matter includes a list of his major works, along with a time line and personal author's note.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Home is brick brown,/ Harlem, uptown,/ trains rumbling by" begins this fittingly poetic biography of writer James Baldwin (1924--1987). Cast in neutral tones and lustrous blues and browns, Law's art opens on Baldwin caring for younger siblings in a cramped Harlem apartment, where he reads all he can despite his preacher father's objections. Though Baldwin faces bullying and prejudice from an early age, he finds support in those who believe in his abilities, and begins to write. Moving first to Greenwich Village, then to Paris, he works "to capture/ the voice of his ancestors, stand up for oppressed people,/ and push the world to change." Incorporating hue-based lines to introduce narrative beats ("Paris is fog gray"), Meadows slowly unveils Baldwin's many facets--burgeoning writer; activist; Black, queer icon--across an elegantly rendered work about a man "with compassion in his heart and a pen in his hand." Back matter includes an author's note. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
In this picture-book biography, Meadows's expressive free verse beautifully contributes to an engaging narrative about Baldwin's (1924-1987) literary prowess and staunch activism, making his story accessible to young readers. She traces the future author's childhood in Harlem and the solace he found in writing; his time as a young preacher; and his decision to leave preaching and pursue writing "to capture / the voice of his ancestors, stand up for oppressed people, / and push the world to change." Following a devastating rejection of his first attempt at a novel, Baldwin (who was Black and gay) moves to Paris to escape the discrimination so prevalent in America, falls in love with Swiss painter Lucien Happersberger, and finishes his novel Go Tell It on the Mountain. Meadows emphasizes Baldwin's persistence and also relates how he became active in the civil rights movement, lending his eloquent voice to the struggle, championing justice and equality for Black people back home. Law's digitally created illustrations in striking double-page spreads powerfully evoke the subject. An author's note, a list of Baldwin's oeuvre, a timeline, and selected sources are appended. Pauletta Brown BracyMarch/April 2024 p.112 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Early life experiences and talent set James Baldwin on the path to greatness. James Baldwin, called "Jimmy" by family and friends, grew up in Harlem during the Great Depression. He loved reading and found a way to express himself through writing, which became an important part of who he was. One of his teachers, Orilla Winfield, nurtured his interest in the arts, taking him to plays and museums, and when he was in junior high, he was mentored by poet Countee Cullen. Jimmy initially followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a preacher, until he realized writing could mean so much more. He sought out other creatives and eventually moved to Europe. In Switzerland he fell in love with painter Lucien Happersberger and completed Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), his first published novel. In Europe, he felt free from the discrimination of life in the United States, but he remained connected to the struggle for rights in his home country, using his unique talent to write and speak about the Black experience. Writing in verse, Meadows employs vivid imagery to convey Baldwin's passion for writing, his desire for freedom, and his love for friends and family. The stories she chooses to highlight provide a full picture of the iconic writer and demonstrate his importance in African American literary history. Digital illustrations complement the text with a rich, warm palette. A high-quality introduction to an important figure in American literature. (author's note, James Baldwin's oeuvre, timeline, selected sources, photos, photo credits) (Picture-book biography. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
