Rise! From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus - ESSENTIAL

Rise! From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Tonya Engel PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY Lee and Low, 2019, $21. 9781620145876

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE  MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

As a child Maya Angelou was shuttled between her mother and her grandmother. She learned to love the power of words, and found strength in them. She was a dancer, a trolley car conductor, a mother, and a performer. She was also an activist, and the poet of the people.

Oh how I love picture book biographies. Rise! is especially poignant. Maya Angelou's life is condensed, but beautifully retold in Bethany Hegedus' lyrical poetry. The illustrations are beautiful, full page renderings full of shadow, light, and hope which complement the text - the reader with background knowledge will notice meaningful things in the illustrations. A great springboard for further study of Angelou or for an introduction to the poet for children too young to read her more mature memoirs. Includes an amazing timeline, photographs, a bibliography and websites for further information.

Lisa Librarian