Jump at the Sun by Alicia D. Williams and Jacqueline Alcantara - OPTIONAL

 Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara. PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Atheneum (Simon), 2021. $18. 9781534419131 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

From her youngest age, Zora loved sitting around the general store listening to the folks swapping tales. This inspired her to create and write and share her own tales. Though her new stepmother kicked her out of the house at 14, Zora always remembered her mother’s advice: Jump at the sun; you might not land on the sun, but at least you’ll get off the ground. This guided her life as she worked for her education, collected folktales, and wrote her own stories. 

Alcantara’s illustrations are full of the sun for which Zora is jumping and Williams breathes life into Zora with her telling. As I was reading, I realized that though I have heard of Zora, I can’t say that I have actually read any of her stories myself. For elementary schools, you should also get Lies and Other Tall Tales which is an illustrated version of many of the tall tales Hurston collected. It can also support any Black Lives, Authors, or Women’s History collection. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS