A Crown of Stories: The Life and Language of Beloved Writer Toni Morrison

From award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford comes a captivating picture book biography about the incredible life of esteemed author, editor, and activist Toni Morrison, featuring gorgeous illustrations by debut artist Khalif Tahir Thompson.

How do you tell a story?

Before Toni Morrison was a Pulitzer Prize winner and Nobel Prize-winning author, she was Chloe Ardelia Wofford, a little girl in Ohio who was both the only Black child in her first-grade classroom and the only student who was able to read.

This is the true story of how that young girl learned from her upbringing, surrounded herself with stories, and made a tremendous impact on the world. Toni Morrison's pen was her sword, and she grew to be a titan of the arts. Her legacy is one that still touches readers to this day.

Expertly and evocatively told by award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford, with beautiful painted illustrations by Khalif Tahir Thompson, this is a must-have picture book biography for any collection. It celebrates Toni Morrison's legacy while inspiring readers to create art, believe in themselves, and strive for greatness.

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Published: 04/02/2024
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 11.10h x 9.10w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780062911032

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.7
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 552084 / Crown of Stories: The Life and Language of Beloved Writer Toni Morrison


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/22/2024
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2024
Booklist 03/15/2024 pg. 74
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 05/01/2024
Horn Book Magazine 05/01/2024 pg. 162
School Library Journal 05/01/2024 pg. 87
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2024 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style

About the Author
Weatherford, Carole Boston: -

Carole Boston Weatherford has written many award-winning books for children, including the Newbery Honor winner BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom and the Caldecott Honor winners Freedom in Congo Square; Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement; and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Her recent books include R-E-S-P-EC-T, The Roots of Rap, Be a King, Dreams for a Daughter, and The Legendary Miss Lena Horne. Carole lives in North Carolina. Visit her at cbweatherford.com.

Thompson, Khalif: -

Khalif Tahir Thompson graduated from Purchase College with a BFA and has since completed fellowships at the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in NYC and the Vermont Studio Center. He has also done the Jerome Emerging Artist residency at the Anderson Center and received a 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in painting. Thompson traveled to Dakar, Senegal, to participate as a 2022 Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence. He is currently attending the Yale School of Art for an MFA in painting and printmaking. A Crown of Stories is his first picture book.