Crown of Stories: The Life and Language of Beloved Writer Toni Morrison

Carole Boston Weatherford has written many award-winning books for children, including the Newbery Honor winner BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom and the Caldecott Honor winners Freedom in Congo Square; Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement; and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Her recent books include R-E-S-P-EC-T, The Roots of Rap, Be a King, Dreams for a Daughter, and The Legendary Miss Lena Horne. Carole lives in North Carolina. Visit her at cbweatherford.com.Khalif Tahir Thompson graduated from Purchase College with a BFA and has since completed fellowships at the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in NYC and the Vermont Studio Center. He has also done the Jerome Emerging Artist residency at the Anderson Center and received a 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in painting. Thompson traveled to Dakar, Senegal, to participate as a 2022 Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence. He is currently attending the Yale School of Art for an MFA in painting and printmaking. A Crown of Stories is his first picture book.

“Thoughtful. Attending closely observed second-person text that puts the reader in Morrison’s shoes, debut artist Tahir Johnson combines media, including paint and collage, lending textured depth to portraits of a creator whose stories ‘get under our skin, next to our hearts, and inside our souls.’” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Weatherford skillfully weaves together the various aspects of the writer’s life in a lyrical account that flows and reveals her rich contributions. Weatherford emphasizes the role of listening, grounding Morrison in her family and community. Making wonderful use of collage, Thompson’s evocative paintings enhance the text, beginning with a striking cover image. Transcendent and deeply resonant.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Both the reverent art and the text provide an intimate glimpse into Morrison’s remarkable life story.” — Horn Book (starred review)“This combination of vibrant images with compelling text gives readers a visceral experience. In addition to being a useful mentor text on the second-person voice, this is an excellent addition to biography collections and displays highlighting Black and Women’s History months.” — School Library Journal“An excellent book to read to younger children. Weatherford's narrative and Thompson's works also importantly put Morrison's life and work in context of her times. Public and school libraries will want to have this work in their collections.” — Booklist“A solid entry point into the how and why of Morrison’s storytelling, a fitting crown that encourages readers to seek out more of Morrison’s uplifting complexity.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books