Small-Girl Toni and the Quest for Gold

by Giselle Anatol (Author) Raissa Figueroa (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
A tall tale inspired by the life and works of Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison.

Young Toni knows that her stories are going to change the world. She's good at spinning a yarn, and in fact, she thinks she might be able to spin her stories into gold if she tries hard enough. Maybe her stories can even lead her to buried treasure?
And so Toni sets out on a quest for gold with her siblings, telling tales and looking for a little magic at every turn. But when her quest doesn't go quite as planned, Toni realizes that it's all about how you tell a story in order to find the perfect ending.
Literary scholar Giselle Anatol and Coretta Scott King honoree Raissa Figueroa have crafted a wholly original tale inspired by the life and works of Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Small-Girl Toni and the Quest for Gold honors one of America's most important writers and is a testament to the power of storytelling.
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$18.99

Publishers Weekly

A child seeks to change the world in this allusive picture book loosely based on the art and life of Toni Morrison (1931-2019). Though townspeople frequently scoff at her "outlandish stories" and big dreams, Small-Girl Toni believes that her tales can make a difference: "Grown-ups say that stories can't save jobs... but if my stories have gotten me sent to the principal's office, and to bed without supper, maybe they can lead me to a whole heap of treasure." As Small-Girl Toni leads her siblings in search of gold, Anatol, making her picture book debut, incorporates components of Morrison's works. The children's journey yields little in the way of the aimed-for treasure, but their arrival home reveals "the warmth of true wealth" and offers a new lens on the gold they gathered along the way. If references to Morrison's oeuvre feel aimed at adult audiences rather than young readers, digitally rendered, watercolor-textured art from Figueroa (You Will Do Great Things) marries cool and copper tones, revealing moments of gold throughout this picture book about where treasure lies. A biographical note and references to Toni Morrison's works concludes. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Alexandra Levick, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Natascha Morris, Tobias Literary. (Dec.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

★ "A charming tale in tribute to the life and imagination of storytelling powerhouse Toni Morrison. . . . Glowing and overflowing with the legacy of the author who inspired it." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Giselle Anatol
Giselle Anatol is a professor of English at the University of Kansas. She teaches courses on children's literature, Caribbean literature, and literature of the African diaspora. This is her first picture book. She lives in Kansas City, MO. Her favorite book by Toni Morrison is The Big Box.

Raissa Figueroa is the illustrator of several picture books, including We Wait for the Sun, which received a Coretta Scott King Honor Award as well as four starred reviews. She is also the illustrator of the Oona books by Kelly DiPucchio. She lives outside of San Diego.

Visit her online at RizzyFig.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @RizzyFig.
Classification
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ISBN-13
9780593404867
Lexile Measure
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Guided Reading Level
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Publisher
Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication date
December 26, 2023
Series
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BISAC categories
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
Library of Congress categories
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