We Wait for the Sun
by Katie McCabe (Author) Raissa Figueroa (Illustrator)
A beautiful and uplifting non-fiction picture book from Katie McCabe and trailblazing civil rights lawyer and activist Dovey Johnson Roundtree, We Wait for the Sun.
In the hour before dawn, Dovey Mae and Grandma Rachel step into the cool, damp night on a secret mission: to find the sweetest, ripest blackberries that grow deep in the woods.
But the nighttime holds a thousand sounds--and a thousand shadows--and Dovey Mae is frightened of the dark. But with the fierce and fearless Grandma Rachel at her side, the woods turn magical, and berry picking becomes an enchanting adventure that ends with the beauty and power of the sunrise.
A cherished memory from Dovey Johnson Roundtree's childhood, this magical experience speaks to the joy that pulsed through her life, even under the shadow of Jim Crow. With Grandma Rachel's lessons as her guiding light, Dovey Mae would go on to become a trailblazer of the civil rights movement--fighting for justice and equality in the military, the courtroom, and the church. With warm, vibrant illustrations from Raissa Figueroa, We Wait for the Sun is a resonant, beautiful story told through one exquisite page turn after another.
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Publishers Weekly
Adapted from U.S. attorney Roundtree's 2019 adult autobiography, Mighty Justice, which was cowritten with McCabe, this posthumous picture book spotlights one of Roundtree's favorite midsummer memories: harvesting blackberries before dawn with her beloved grandmother, who "imbued her with the certainty of her self-worth." Thoughtful imagery lush with sensory detail ("her hand as it grazes a bush and comes back with the first berry of the day, frosted with dew") pairs seamlessly with atmospheric, luminous digital illustrations by Figueroa as young Roundtree walks through the dark with Grandma Rachel, seeking berries with fellow Black women. This is a poignant glimpse into the childhood of a storied civil rights luminary, simultaneously serving as a testament to the love between caretaker and child and a soothing, nature-based meditation. Back matter includes a powerful author's note, biographical information on both Roundtree and her maternal grandmother, a timeline of their lives, and a bibliography. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
With nighttime scenes bathed in deep purples and a final scene of daybreak in golden hues, this touching tale successfully conveys special moments of hushed expectation and quiet exhilaration between a child and her strong, loving adult. Makes magic out of a true moment, as the best picture books do. —Kirkus Reviews, starred Review
This is a poignant glimpse into the childhood of a storied civil rights luminary, simultaneously serving as a testament to the love between caretaker and child and a soothing, nature-based meditation. —Publishers Weekly, starred reviewRecalling a memorable moment of natural beauty, the tale is told simply and directly, underscoring the authenticity of the narrative and the warmth of the main characters' mutual affection. In the engaging, lyrical illustrations, Figueroa makes good use of deep, soft, subtle colors in the night scenes and startlingly bright hues at dawn. [A] beautiful picture book. —Booklist, starred review [I]nfused with the warm satisfaction many children experience (or wish they could experience) in the company of a favorite relative, for whose attention and affection they—at least temporarily—don't need to compete. —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)
Dovey Johnson Roundtree was an attorney and minister who was of the first women to be commissioned an Army officer and who helped win a landmark case banning segregation in interstate bus travel. She died in 2018 at the age of 104.
Katie McCabe is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the Washingtonian Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, and Reader's Digest, among others. Her National Magazine Award-winning article on black medical legend Vivien Thomas was the basis for the HBO film Something the Lord Made, winner of three Emmys and a 2005 Peabody award. Jabari Asim is the author of several adult and children's books, including Preaching to the Chickens which was named one of the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 2016 and Fifty Cents and a Dream-an NAACP Image Award Nominee, Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice, School Library Journal Editor's Choice, and Kirkus Best Book. He is an associate professor at Emerson College in Boston and executive editor of The Crisis, the magazine of the NAACP. He recently was honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.JNF007110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists
JNF023000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Girls & Women
United States
Grandparent and child
Autobiographies
African American women lawyers
Women lawyers
Roundtree, Dovey Johnson
