Weatherford, Carole Boston. Crown of Stories, A: The Life and Language of Beloved Writer Toni Morrison. Khalif Tahir Thompson, Illus. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, 04/2024. [48]pp. Biography. Trade $19.99. 978-0-06-291103-2. GRADES 1–3. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Weatherford uses the second-person voice in this picture book biography of Toni Morrison, where the narrator explains what “you” do to be like Morrison: remember, listen, love, read, tell, and more. The choice seems to suit Morrison’s life, and is meant to be read aloud, like Weatherford’s previous dozens of children’s biographies. The scenes emphasize love and beauty in Morrison’s upbringing, the tactile experience of her surroundings, and her accomplishments and hardships, while also including descriptions of racism and responses to it, including Morrison’s impact as senior editor, author, and honored elder. The acrylic, oil paint, and collage illustrations by Thompson, in warmly vibrant colors with rich brown tones, are bold and naive, while also being accurate in portraiture. Although mostly recounting biographical facts, Weatherford also attributes feelings and thoughts to the “you” that is Morrison; “Amid the stacks [of a library job], you are in heaven…” “You’re tired of hearing your name mispronounced anyhow…” “You heed the call to conscience in your own way, vowing to write about and for Black people.” The bibliography lists eight magazine articles and recorded interviews plus one entry from Biography.com, but no books about Morrison. Libraries that own Jerdine Nolen’s picture book biography On Her Wings (S&S, 2022) may nevertheless find space for this unique perspective.
Erica Siskind—Oakland Public Library