What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice

by Jay Leslie, Loveis Wise (Illustrator)

Overview

“Lorraine Hansberry has had a direct influence on who we are, the stories we tell, and how we move in the world today. We are beyond delighted to share Jay’s beautiful words and Loveis’s stunning work, bringing this iconic visionary to life for the next generation of dreamers.” —Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani, and Naomi Funabashi, Hillman Grad Books

Our stories can change the world.

As a young girl, playwright Lorraine Hansberry walked everywhere with a notebook, eager to capture the sights, sounds, and stories of the people around her.

First Lorraine watched her parents’ triumph in the Supreme Court case of Hansberry v. Lee. Then she discovered the magic of theater. Next, she unlocked the power of her voice, crafting A Raisin in the Sun. Her play went on to influence generations of artists and the world was never the same.

Lyrical, vibrant, and empowering, What I Must Tell the World is a celebration of Lorraine Hansberry’s life and legacy, and a love letter to the power of theater and storytelling.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781638930693
Publisher:	Zando
Publication date:	10/22/2024
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jay Leslie (Author)
Jay Leslie has always loved to write. Everywhere she goes, she carries a notebook just in case she gets a new idea—most of all, she loves to write the books that she wishes she’d had as a child. Jay grew up in the United States, but now lives in Berlin, Germany, where she spends her time writing novels, learning new languages, and backpacking through the Schwarzwald. Jay’s picture books include Who Did It First? 50 Politicians, Activists, and Revolutionized the World, and Game, Set, Sisters! The Story of Venus and Serena Williams.

Loveis Wise (Illustrator)
Loveis Wise is a multidisciplinary artist and Capricorn drawing reimagined futures and playfulness in Los Angeles. They are best known for illustrating picture book titles such as Magnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Ablaze With Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, Becoming Charley by Kelly DiPucchio, and notably the Coretta Scott King Award honoree, The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi.

Editorial Reviews

This soaring salute to the author of A Raisin in the Sun—the first Broadway play written by a Black woman—casts Hansberry as a vibrant young person searching for ways to convey the lives and experiences of her world . . . as the story takes her through struggles to finish her great play and ends with its triumphant opening, her courage, intelligence, and forceful personality shine out.” —Booklist, starred review

“The illustrations are a rich, vibrant testimony to a trailblazing writer and activist. Boldly colored spreads highlight Hansberry and the people and relationships in her life and draw viewers into the scenes. Readers will find here a seminal message from the writer’s experience: embrace who you are and live your truth; your story matters.” —Hornbook

“This well-written and well-illustrated book introduces young readers to an important writer and is an excellent choice for discussing the significance of writers finding their own voices.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2024

Gr 3–5—This book follows the development of Lorraine Hansberry's writing career. It begins with her childhood goal of writing about the stories happening in her neighborhood, followed by her difficulty in finding the right focus for her writing as she grew older, and ending with successfully writing a play about her family's experience moving from their Black neighborhood in Chicago to a white neighborhood nearby where they were not accepted by their neighbors. Hansberry's play based on her family's move showed how her parents were determined to keep their new house, despite facing hostile mobs and name-calling. Hansberry's father took his case to the Supreme Court, where he won. He demonstrated that he had the right to live anywhere he wanted to. The play, A Raisin in the Sun, made it to Broadway, where it portrayed the true experience of her family. In the process of writing, Hansberry also revealed the truth about many other Black people's experiences. Leslie mentions that Hansberry realized that she was attracted to women, and how that was part of finding her voice and identity. It also shows how members of the Black community supported and celebrated Hansberry's work. VERDICT This well-written and well-illustrated book introduces young readers to an important writer, and is an excellent choice for discussing the significance of writers finding their own voices.—Myra Zarnowski

School Library Journal