★ 11/20/2023
“Augusta Braxton Baker grew up to be a master storyteller. But before that she was an amazing story listener,” begins this glowing account of legendary storytelling librarian Baker (1911–1998). Starting with her Baltimore childhood, where her grandmother “shaped incredible worlds and passed them down,” McDaniel’s telling highlights Baker’s route to helping “other people become better listeners.” Following teacher’s college, Baker becomes a children’s librarian at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library. Though many of the Harlem branch’s youngest patrons are Black—among them James Baldwin and Audre Lorde—the library’s books featuring Black characters are “JUST PLAIN WRONG.” Wanting “Black children to have heroes that rose up and looked, talked, and shined bright,” she creates a collection to that end, disseminates her book lists widely, and spends her career promoting the storytelling she has loved since childhood. Harrison’s intricate mixed-media collages employ shifting scale to bring to life this vital history of a vital figure. An author’s note follows. Ages 5–8. (Jan.)
★ "Intricate details will draw novice readers back to the pages, while more experienced readers will find a treasure trove of biographical sources compiled by McDaniel . . . here’s thoughtfulness here in the craft and pacing of her prose, certainly; reverence, too, in the textured layers of Harrison’s mixed-media and visual storytelling. But more than anything, simplecare is evident. Care for a Black librarian who sought out every gap a tale could bridge, who shattered barriers to ensure Black children would see themselves on library shelves, and whose legacy continues to this day exactly as it began—in the thrall of good stories." —Kirkus, starred review
★ "Brimming with color and texture, Harrison's illustrations incorporate acrylics, pen, and mixed-media collage elements that bestow a pleasing three-dimensional look to the scenes . . . Appended with a time line, sources, and author's note, this makes a worthy addition to library collections." —Booklist, starred review
★ "[A] glowing account of legendary storytelling librarian Baker . . . Harrison’s intricate mixed-media collages employ shifting scale to bring to life this vital history of a vital figure." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "McDaniel gives an account of Baker’s life that is as celebratory as the hero's in her folktales, attesting that Baker internalized the message that 'where there’s a will, there’s a way'. Harrison’s exuberant mixed-media collage illustrations capture the vibrancy of both the storyteller and her stories, creating worlds and words that leap off pages." —Horn Book, starred review
★ "A blissful walk around the imagination for anyone who has ever been told, or has listened to,a transporting piece of storytelling . . . the colors, books, titles, typeface, faces, people, streets, and words that overflow these pages work intandem with the text to celebrate a life in stories and a life in service to others. An essential purchase not to be missed." —School Library Journal, starred review
★ 03/29/2024
K-Gr 4—This is a blissful walk around the imagination for anyone who has ever been told, or has listened to, a transporting piece of storytelling. Baker had a grandmother who told tales from across the ages and of all genres, but what they had in common, other than Baker's alert, listening ears, were characters that looked defeated but who in the end were victorious. A young librarian in Harlem, Baker was still at home in the world of books, but what she found in the way of authentic Black representation was missing; she created a collection including the works of writers and illustrators who would give Harlem's children the books in which they would see themselves conquering the world. This is a wall-to-wall poetry-filled biography, with scenes of Baker hugging the buildings and cityscapes of her surroundings, towering over the classrooms, and demonstrating her immoveable presence in all of Harrison's quilt-colored, patched-together, joyfully two-dimensional illustrations. Of course the book is catnip for librarians and storytellers, but for children, too; the colors, books, titles, typeface, faces, people, streets, and words that overflow these pages work in tandem with the text to celebrate a life in stories and a life in service to others. VERDICT An essential purchase not to be missed—what a wonderful person, and what a worthy life.—Ginnie Abbott
★ 2023-11-04
A tribute to the storied lioness of the New York Public Library.
Raised in Baltimore on her grandmother’s tales, Augusta Braxton Baker (1911-1998) grew up with the deep certainty that stories are powerful. Powerful enough to make Augusta realize her true calling, “guiding children of all ages through the wide and wonderful spaces of her stories.” Powerful enough to bring her to the 135th Street Branch of the NYPL, where she introduced young readers such as James Baldwin and Audre Lorde to the words that would inspire them to write their own. Powerful enough to anchor Augusta’s lifelong advocacy for uplifting representations of Black people, to forge a network of educator activists from Carter G. Woodson to Charlemae Rollins, and to send Augusta around the world to teach and tell her stories. Intricate details will draw novice readers back to the pages, while more experienced readers will find a treasure trove of biographical sources. There’s thoughtfulness here in the craft and pacing of her prose, certainly; reverence, too, in the textured layers of Harrison’s mixed-media and visual storytelling. But more than anything, simple care is evident. Care for a Black librarian who sought out every gap a tale could bridge, who shattered barriers to ensure Black children would see themselves on library shelves, and whose legacy continues to this day exactly as it began—in the thrall of good stories.
The Master Storyteller returns to storytime at last. (author’s note, timeline, sources) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)
