Maya's Song
by Renée Watson (Author) Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
From bestselling, award-winning creators Renée Watson and Bryan Collier comes a stunningly crafted picture book chronicling the life of poet and activist Maya Angelou.
This unforgettable picture book introduces young readers to the life and work of Maya Angelou, whose words have uplifted and inspired generations of readers.
The author of the celebrated autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya was the first Black person and first woman to recite a poem at a presidential inauguration, and her influence echoes through culture and history. She was also the first Black woman to appear on the United States quarter.
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson uses Angelou's beloved medium of poetry to lyrically chronicle her rich life in a deeply moving narrative. Vivid and striking collage art by Caldecott Honor recipient and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Bryan Collier completes this unforgettable portrait of one of the most important American artists in history.
Maya's momma was right.
Maya was a preacher, a teacher.
A Black girl whose voice
chased away darkness, ushered in light.
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In allusive biographical poems that focus on their subject's developing voice, Watson recounts the life of activist and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014), beginning with her St. Louis birth as Marguerite Annie Johnson and ending with her reading at Bill Clinton's 1993 presidential inauguration. Evocative lines detail Angelou's time living across the U.S. and Ghana, her five years of silence following the childhood assault that "hurt her body, hurt her soul," and the gradual development of her voice and love for poetry ("Once you start speaking again, / ain't nobody gonna be able to shut you up," her Momma Annie says). Collier's richly textured assemblage of collage and watercolor employs light, pattern, and subtle imagery that add depth to every image as Angelou is shown maturing into an adult, working alongside peers in the struggle for freedom (including "Brother Jimmy, Brother Martin"), and writing toward the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Concluding with a close-up image of Angelou and an affirmation ("She alone was enough"), this is a thoughtfully rendered biography of a dazzling figure. A biographical timeline and creators' notes conclude. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
I LOVED how Maya's song is a poetry it sound so good. And Maya's Momma was right. Also she was the first black person to do poetry and woman . That's why I LOVE this book
Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her novel, Piecing Me Together, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books include Love is a Revolution, Ways to Make Sunshine, Ways to Grow Love, Some Places More Than Others, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, cowritten with Ilyasah Shabazz, and Watch Us Rise, cowritten with Ellen Hagan, as well as two acclaimed picture books: A Place Where Hurricanes Happen and Harlem's Little Blackbird, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and splits her time between Portland and New York City.
www.reneewatson.net@reneewauthor
JNF042000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Poetry | General
JNF007030 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Literary
JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
20th century
Authors, American
African American women authors
Angelou, Maya
