Kin: Rooted in Hope

The Weatherfords--a mother-son duo--pay tribute to their enslaved ancestors' pain and resilience across generations in this moving collection of illustrated poems, inspired by Alex Haley's Roots. Hoping to learn more about her family history, the author attempts to trace her lineage to its beginnings. In 2016, while traveling to Gorée, an island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, Weatherford and her son visit "slave castles"--trading posts where "captive Africans/ were held for weeks, months, / until their numbers could fill/ a ship's belly." From there, the two embark on a journey that takes them to the Wye House Plantation in Easton, Md., where their ancestors were enslaved by the Lloyds, a white Quaker family. Throughout, poems showcase various perspectives, including those of the creators' forebears, the enslaving family, and a ship carrying captives. While this narrative range can sometimes cause confusion, it nevertheless makes for a layered text that highlights the perseverance of the Weatherfords' ancestors and the horrors that they endured. Sketch-like b&w line illustrations depict key moments within the narrative. By sharing their family's story, the Weatherfords craft a harrowing and motivational addition to enslaved peoples' history. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)

Gr 5 Up--Weatherford and her son have created a poetic meditation on the process of researching ancestry, with a specific focus on those who are descended from those who were enslaved. Told in many voices, these poems tell the story of a long line of individuals who were removed from Senegal and taken to the Chesapeake Bay. The Weatherfords imagine the lives of those who couldn't have recorded their own as they weave together a narrative of their ancestors. Poems include chilling information drawn from primary sources, including inventory documents that placed a value on human lives. These sections are evocative of similar sections in Julius Lester's Day of Tears. The poem "Partus Sequitur Ventrem/Offspring Follows Belly" introduces the concept that during this time babies born to enslaved women were also slaves. Dramatic scratchboard illustrations throughout the book allow the tone of the poems to switch swiftly from lighter to darker topics, using design to prepare readers for some of the more difficult content. Author's and illustrator's notes provide context, and a bibliography offers sources for additional research. VERDICT A unique book that will be appreciated by the right readers, especially those familiar with Kwame Alexander's The Door of No Return.--Kristin L. Anderson