Lift Your Light a Little Higher

August 15, 2016
In the middle of the 19th century, Stephen Bishop, an enslaved African-American man, gained attention for the subterranean tours he conducted of Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave. Writing in the imagined voice of Bishop himself, Henson (Grumpy Grandpa) allows readers to embark on one such tour as Bishop describes the shadowy environs of the cave, the cruel reality of slavery, and the power inherent in his role as “Guide—a man able to walk before other men, not behind.” Collier’s (Trombone Shorty) collages strongly evoke the dark, claustrophobic confines of the cave system, as well as haunting moments of both strength and injustice (silhouettes of human faces appear along the flank of an ox, emphasizing the status of slaves as property). Henson’s poetic narrative is lyrical, but at times vague; a helpful closing note expands on what little is known of Bishop’s life. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt.

Starred review from July 15, 2016
This story whispers of the life of a man most contemporary American readers should know but don't.Stephen Bishop, born circa 1821, had intimate knowledge of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, where he served as guide for visitors who traveled far to tour the underground passageways. Despite the ban against teaching slaves to read, Stephen acquired literacy and wrote his name on the ceiling of Mammoth Cave by using smoke from a lighted candle. Henson weaves Bishop's impressive scientific discoveries of cave life into the sparse narrative, demonstrating the magnitude of his contributions despite that little is known of his life or death. Collier's strikingly symbolic collage illustrations often draw a stark line between what appears above and below the ground, emphasizing the covert nature of Bishop's achievements. Perhaps the book's most memorable illustration appears when, speaking in Bishop's voice, Henson says that slaves are "bought and sold...same as an ox or mule" while overlapping silhouettes of black and brown textured faces appear within the collage cutout of an ox plowing a field. Rich backmatter will help young readers understand more about the historical context in which Bishop lived and died. A story that recovers an important piece of African-American history inextricably tied to the history of Mammoth Cave, a national monument visited by 2 million people each year. (Picture book/biography 4-8)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 1-4-In 1840s Kentucky, Stephen Bishop, a slave, gave public tours of Mammoth Cave for his master's profit. Henson takes this factual piece of history and weaves a germane and trenchant story. Written in the first person, with Bishop leading readers through a tour, this book packs intricate meaning into each line. For example, when describing the cave, Bishop says, " 'Specially when you're searching out a path that's hardly been lit, a trail that's never been smooth or flat or plain to follow," implying that the path of the cave is much like that of a slave. Collier's superb watercolor and collage illustrations are painterly and grainy and complement the text perfectly. Bishop, who also becomes known as "Guide," cleverly learns to read by showing people how to make marks on the cave with a candle. They write their names; he learns to read. Readers follow Bishop as he showcases his skill and reflects on his seemingly incompatible roles in life-the limits of slavery and his unlimited exploration and knowledge of Mammoth Cave. The work ends with Bishop warning readers that there is little information on his life beyond the cave, explaining that history books do not record his death and that sometimes "you just got to go beyond what's written down to get to what's been left untold." VERDICT Complex and just waiting for an in-depth discussion, this is a solid purchase for biography and U.S. history collections.-Jennifer Steib Simmons, Anderson County Library, SC

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Grades 2-4 Henson takes readers inside Kentucky's Mammoth Cave, where Stephen Bishop, also known as Guide, leads tourists through the twists and turns of the underground wonder. In a come-close first-person narrative, Bishop, a slave, describes how he came to spend his life underground, so attuned to his surroundings that he discovered a previously unknown species of eyeless crawdads. Bishop learned to write by watching folks scrawl their names on the walls, and his own name can still be seen there. Poetic and evocative, the story chronicles what it was like for Bishop to cup a deerskin moccasin in his palm or to feel pride in being Guide, a man able to walk before other men, not behind. Using watercolor and collage, primarily in dark greens and browns, Bryan Collier provides bold, striking art on oversize pages. Children will feel the intensity of both the natural world and a man who understands his corner of it. Like Jonah Winter's My Name Is James Madison Hemings, Henson's book raises the question of how far boundaries can be stretched when writing nonfiction. In an author's note, Henson gives insight and background into Bishop's world and Mammoth Cave, yet notes, In reality, not much is known about Stephen as a person. The Library of Congress classifies the book as nonfiction, though fictionalized biography might be more accurate. When you visit a second- or third-grade class, the natural audience for this book, and ask children to tell you the difference between fiction and nonfiction, they will confidently report that one is a story and the other is true. Henson's book is built around the skeleton of a true story, but incidents, motives, and thoughts are added. The book's target audience, however, will see the book as true. They aren't discerning enough to understand that a book presented as a biography isn't quite thatand they probably don't read author's notes. Henson has unearthed a very powerful story here, and she does a fine job of telling it. Still, the question lingers: How much leeway does an author have in reshaping a subject's life to make it fit the narrative? And how do we explain to children that the lines between fiction and nonfiction are not always as clear as they think?(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)