On Her Wings

August 15, 2022
Childhood experiences and stories work together to influence one of America's most important writers. Born in 1931, Toni Morrison began life as Chloe Ardelia Wofford. Growing up in Lorain, Ohio, a poor, segregated town, she enjoyed listening to stories told by her parents and grandparents. She became an excellent reader who loved the music and rhythm of words and language. At 12, she converted to Catholicism, choosing Anthony as her baptismal name. A top student, she attended Howard University, where she asked her friends, who had trouble with her name, to call her Toni. When she married Harold Morrison, an architect, she became Toni Morrison. Work as an editor stirred her desire to tell stories, especially those centering the African American experience. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, launched her writing career, and over the years, she was recognized with many awards, including the Nobel Prize in literature. Her work always reflected the stories and language of her first storytellers. This introduction to Morrison's life and influences demonstrates how much she was shaped by the experiences of her childhood. As an author of both adult titles and books for younger readers, her path will be of interest to readers of picture-book biographies. Nolen uses evocative language, while Ransome's watercolor-and-collage illustrations complement and enhance the text with fluidity and a warm palette. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An uplifting glimpse into the life of one of America's most distinguished writers. (author's note, list of books by Morrison, important quotes, resources, list of achievements) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2022
Grades 2-4 Nolen frames this inspirational picture-book biography of Toni Morrison around names and stories. Text in a regular font describes how the author was born Chloe Wofford and became Chloe Anthony Wofford when she converted to Catholicism, then Toni when her Howard University friends couldn't pronounce her name, and finally, Toni Morrison when her editor placed it on her first novel. A larger, handwriting-like font stretches across the pages and tells another narrative in a conversational voice. Segments such as, "She was just a-listening, waiting, watching," echo descriptions of Morrison's writing path, the struggles of Black life that filled her stories, and her success as a Nobel Prize winner. Ransome's watercolor-and-collage illustrations reflect Morrison's personal accomplishments and the spirit of her novels. While some scenes charm with realism and others delight with magical elements, all, including a gorgeous gatefold with a chronological look at Morrison's literary characters, inspire awe with their intricate detail. Although the biography doesn't mention its subject's death and lacks a time line, it includes other back matter (an author's note, quotes, select achievements, etc.) for more advanced readers.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 29, 2022
“Long before Chloe became a writer or a reader, she was a listener.” Nolen chronicles the life and career of Toni Morrison (1931–2019), from her birth in Lorain, Ohio, as Chloe Ardelia Wofford to her 1993 acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Reportorial prose foregrounds the figure’s family life and interests, describing Morrison’s upbringing on a steady diet of music, mythology, scripture, and supernatural tales—influences that led to academia and an editorial career before she published The Bluest Eye, her first novel, at age 39. Describing Morrison’s work as sharing “the untold stories that needed to be told” about “the history and pain of black life in the United States,” Nolen writes, “Her story words were so mighty,/ mighty enough to lift that old blanket of oppression/ and pull against each thread until that blanket just unraveled.” Realistic watercolor and collage portraiture by Ransome depicts Morrison at various ages alongside relatives and figures past and present. It’s an elucidative homage that ends with a call to action, inviting readers to tell their own stories. Extensive back matter includes an author’s note, recommended reading and viewing, and “important quotes.” Ages 4–8.

September 1, 2022
This picture-book biography of writer Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford), by the team behind Freedom Bird (rev. 1/20), pays homage to its renowned subject and the wondrous power of storytelling. In childhood, Morrison was a listener, relishing the stories and music shared by her parents and grandparents. She was also an avid reader and continued to read more and more, "feeding a hunger that would never end." After attending college and graduate school and a brief teaching career, she began working as an editor in New York, at which time she started to write, publishing many books and winning awards for her stories about the lives of Black people in America. Nolen emphasizes Morrison's uncanny gift for storytelling ("She could look beyond things as they were and see a greater vision") and celebrates her not only as a brilliant writer but also as an inspiration to others. The straightforward main narrative is appealingly accompanied by words floating at the tops of pages in a storyteller's voice ("I'm telling you, that girl was magic"). Ransome's expressive watercolor and collage illustrations, delivered as mostly double-page spreads, are perfectly matched to the text and especially compelling in conveying a sense of Morrison's profound legacy. Back matter includes an author's note, a bibliography, important quotes, and a list of select achievements. Pauletta Brown Bracy

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from December 23, 2022

Gr 2-5-Toni Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford. At an early age she fell in love with words, melodies, stories, and the rhythm and rhyme of music. She went on to Howard University, where she changed her name to Toni because it was easier to pronounce. She eventually taught at Cornell and at her alma mater. There she met and married her husband. Soon after the birth of her second son, Morrison's marriage failed, and she moved to New York City for a fresh start as an editor. During the day she edited others' work; at night, after her children went to bed, she would write her own. At age 39, she published her first novel. Though the world knew her as Toni Morrison, she insisted that Chloe Wofford was the one who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first Black woman to do so. Her books often focused on Black history and motherhood, race, and skin color, and she sought to empower her people. Her stories inspired others to do the same. This lyrical biography about Morrison's accomplishments and legacy has a reverential tone, putting the groundbreaking author on a well-deserved pedestal. This title honors her memory and the sheer enormity of her life's work. A perfect complement, Ransome's painterly illustrations-done in watercolor and collage-shine with a beatific light. Remarks about her books and Morrison herself float in the background. Back matter includes an author's note, further reading, and a selected list of her awards and books published. VERDICT An awe-inspiring picture book biography about an outstanding storyteller.-Shelley M. Diaz

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2022
This picture-book biography of writer Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford), by the team behind Freedom Bird (rev. 1/20), pays homage to its renowned subject and the wondrous power of storytelling. In childhood, Morrison was a listener, relishing the stories and music shared by her parents and grandparents. She was also an avid reader and continued to read more and more, "feeding a hunger that would never end." After attending college and graduate school and a brief teaching career, she began working as an editor in New York, at which time she started to write, publishing many books and winning awards for her stories about the lives of Black people in America. Nolen emphasizes Morrison's uncanny gift for storytelling ("She could look beyond things as they were and see a greater vision") and celebrates her not only as a brilliant writer but also as an inspiration to others. The straightforward main narrative is appealingly accompanied by words floating at the tops of pages in a storyteller's voice ("I'm telling you, that girl was magic"). Ransome's expressive watercolor and collage illustrations, delivered as mostly double-page spreads, are perfectly matched to the text and especially compelling in conveying a sense of Morrison's profound legacy. Back matter includes an author's note, a bibliography, important quotes, and a list of select achievements.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)