CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK • EZRA JACK KEATS WRITER AWARD • From an award-winning author and illustrator comes this picture book biography about beloved librarian and storyteller Augusta Braxton Baker, the first Black coordinator of children’s services at all branches of the New York Public Library.
ALSC NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOK • HORN BOOK FANFARE • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Kirkus Reviews, Chicago Public Library, New York Public Library
Before Augusta Braxton Baker became a storyteller, she was an excellent story listener. Her grandmother brought stories like Br’er Rabbit and Arthur and Excalibur to life, teaching young Augusta that when there’s a will, there’s always a way. When she grew up, Mrs. Baker began telling her own fantastical stories to children at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem. But she noticed that there were hardly any books at the library featuring Black people in respectful, uplifting ways. Thus began her journey of championing books, writers, librarians, and teachers centering Black stories, educating and inspiring future acclaimed authors like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin along the way.
As Mrs. Baker herself put it: “Children of all ages want to hear stories. Select well, prepare well and then go forth and just tell.”
BolognaRazzi Award: Braw Amazing Bookshelf Sustainability Selection • ILA 2025 Notable Books for a Global Society • CLA/NCTE 2025 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts • Five Starred Reviews
