Feed Your Mind

October 15, 2019
One of America's greatest modern playwrights is introduced to generations of younger readers in this lyrical picture book. August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning African American dramatist, is best known for his 10-play Century Cycle, which chronicles the African American experience through different decades in the 20th century. Because his work is targeted toward adults, many young readers might be unfamiliar with Wilson's life or achievements. Thanks to this timely and elegant picture book, that oversight is now corrected. Conceptually separated into two acts, the book frames Wilson's life as a play in free-verse form, immersing readers in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, a multiracial enclave where Frederick August Kittel Jr. is raised by his hardworking single mother. Act 1 chronicles Wilson's search for his name and voice, and Act 2 showcases his extraordinary life's work of using them to bring the African American experience to the stage. The book's primary goal may be to present Wilson's life, but it is also an eloquent love letter to literature and a celebration of its power to inspire, to instruct, and to provide hope, guidance, and direction. Bryant's accomplished free verse and newcomer Chapman's evocative, realistic illustrations operate in perfect synergy, celebrating the genius of Wilson the playwright while never losing sight of the complications, hardships, and imperfections of Wilson the man. A must-have for those who want children to learn about one of the stage's greatest bards. (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

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Starred review from November 1, 2019

Gr 1-4-Growing up in Pittsburgh in the 1950s with his sisters and his mother, Daisy, August Wilson found refuge in books. Daisy Wilson stressed that knowledge could be a tool of liberation: "If you can read, you can do anything-you can be anything." Wilson's passion for words grew after he obtained his first library card. As the years passed, he devoured anything he could get his hands on, especially the works of Langston Hughes, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Ralph Ellison, and Richard Wright. While Wilson loved to learn, virulent racism forced him to drop out of high school. Nevertheless, his mother's wisdom echoed in his mind. The acceptance of Jitney by the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis turned the poet into a published playwright. Bryant's text forms a clear and striking portrait of the Pulitzer Prize winner. Bryant's poetic descriptions effectively chronicle Wilson's artistic journey. Chapman's illustrations, created using ink, colored pencil, acrylic paint, and cut paper, bring the narrative to life. Characters feel as though they've been captured in mid-dialogue. Some educators and parents may balk at the usage of the N-word at the beginning of the book, but others may recognize it as an opportunity to teach children about our country's legacy of racism and anti-blackness. VERDICT This empathetic and informative study of August Wilson's early years explores the complexities of the black experience in America. A book that will resonate not only with bookworms and fans of the playwright but with black children wishing to see themselves reflected in the world around them.-Vanessa Willoughby, School Library Journal

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2019
Grades 3-6 Bryant and Chapman capture the life of August Wilson here through biographical free-verse poems that compellingly trace key moments in Wilson's development into a world-renowned poet and playwright. Divided into two acts, the book reveals how Wilson's early love of books ignited a love of language and a passion for reading and writing about the human experience. After dropping out of high school due to mistreatment and racial bullying, Wilson immersed himself in the works of Black writers, whose ranks he would eventually join. The mixed-media illustrations implement retro colors and frequently float letters or images through the scenes to reflect Wilson's constant gleaning of his surroundings for inspiration. This is an excellent addition to collections on Black writers of the 1960s and 1970s. Thorough back matter features an author's note and detailed time line, as well as source notes for the many quotes that are integrated into the poems. Readers will walk away with an appreciation of why Wilson is still celebrated as one of the most pivotal playwrights of his time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)