Starred review from September 1, 2024
Gr 2-5-In descriptive and poetic language, this book reveals how reading and writing were powerful motivators for young James Baldwin. Growing up in Harlem, he was drawn to the language he heard around him and to the books he found in the library. As he grew up, the impact of reading and writing on his life continued to grow, leading him to a career as a celebrated writer. The illustrations help bring the story to life, showing Baldwin's early years in Harlem and the people and places that influenced his decision to become a writer. These depict children playing on the streets, the police who threatened Baldwin, and his stepfather who discouraged his writing ambitions and his mother who encouraged them. An abundance of words sprinkled around the illustrations show what Baldwin heard and what he saw. When Baldwin left Harlem and moved to France, his writing career emerged and blossomed. VERDICT This book is especially recommended because it not only explains the growth of a successful writer, but it also can stimulate discussions of the ways in which reading and writing enrich our lives.-Myra Zarnowski
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2024
Grades 1-3 Joining the rush of commemorations on the centennial of James Baldwin's birth, this picture-book profile offers rich language and visuals in a perceptive account of how the bookish lad absorbed and responded to his Harlem community and often-difficult family life. It follows him to the physical and metaphorical mountaintop in France, where a "hymn born out of the words he'd nurtured his whole life" becomes the brilliant debut novel referenced in the title. Some of those words float through James' atmospheric oil-on-board scenes of the dark-skinned young man on the street, in libraries, shrinking away from his angry stepfather and from brutal white police officers--but still, at the end, posing proudly, holding his finished book, surrounded by an exuberant whirl of pencils and erasers. Harris follows up a glancing allusion to the writer's bisexuality in the main narrative with frank acknowledgment in an afterword that also mentions his one children's book and invites young readers to "build similar friendships with books, and imagine that a better world can be brought to life with bold dreams and powerful words."
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Starred review from November 15, 2024
A brilliant Black boy in Harlem falls in love with words and becomes one of America's most important literary voices. Young James Baldwin had to clear many obstacles to become the famous writer whose words would help a nation look itself in the mirror. While his mother cleaned other people's homes, James took care of his siblings and read voraciously. His stepfather, a preacher consumed with anger at the world, discouraged James' love of books other than the Bible, but his mother nurtured his passion. As a teenager, James preached at his stepfather's church and later worked several service jobs before escaping the confines of Harlem. In France, James made a new home in the mountains and shook loose the stories he held inside. This dynamic portrait of one of America's most celebrated literary heroes ends with the publication of his bookGo Tell It on the Mountain; backmatter touches on his novelGiovanni's Room and his identity as a queer man. With his lyrical prose, Harris shows off a writer's delight in words, trusting his young readers to make sense of even seemingly complex turns of phrase. Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator James' painterly art is a brilliant ode to Baldwin, to Harlem, and to books, featuring expressive strokes, composition, and perspective to create unique sensations in each immersive scene. A superb introduction to a master of the craft and a work of art in and of itself. (more about James Baldwin, author's and illustrator's notes, select sources)(Picture-book biography. 5-9)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from November 11, 2024
“The first time James Baldwin read a book, the words clung to him like glitter.” Harris and James home in on the emotional core of the author’s upbringing in this moving work about Baldwin (1924–1987). Beginning pages depict his early life—his doting mother, the abundant siblings under his care, his love of reading, and his preacher stepfather, who displayed fury “toward Jimmy’s books and all the things he saw burning in the world.” Sensate lines illuminate Baldwin’s childhood experience while underscoring what drives him (“In the library, Jimmy could hear the books singing to him, shouting ‘Hallelujah!’ as joyfully as the women banging tambourines at his stepfather’s church”). After experiencing a police assault, Baldwin realizes the healing power of words—and begins writing “to heal his heart.” Thickly stroked oil-on-board illustrations have a dreamlike quality as they emphasize the love of words as a cornerstone of Baldwin’s life. Back matter, which includes biographical information and creators’ notes, discusses Baldwin’s queer identity. Ages 4–8.
March 1, 2025
Few writers have commanded the English language like James Baldwin (1924-1987). As a child in Harlem, Jimmy was expected to care for his eight siblings while his mother did domestic work. He endured a domineering stepfather, bullying, racism, and police violence. All the while, he escaped through the world of words and books. He eventually moved to France, where he used his pen to reconcile his experiences as a Black man in the United States. The result was his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, which sparked a successful literary career. Harris lyrically narrates Baldwin's childhood and his pathway to becoming a published author, highlighting how reading captivated him at a young age ("in the library, Jimmy could hear the books singing to him") and capturing the essence of a man whose literature still resonates today. James's oil on board illustrations are resplendent in rich jewel tones, with double-page spreads that are at times reminiscent of impressionist paintings. The delight of the library stacks, the fervor of Sunday service, the solitude on a hill in Central Park are all lavishly rendered. This is a beautiful tribute to Baldwin and the book that ignited his career. Back matter includes more information about Baldwin and a list of select sources, along with author and illustrator notes. Pair with Meadows and Law's Jimmy's Rhythm and Blues: The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin (rev. 3/24). Monique Harris
(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)