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Go Forth and Tell

The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller

Breanna J. McDaniel April Harrison

$35

Hardback

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English
Dial Books for Young Readers,US
06 February 2024
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award

From an award-winning author and illustrator comes this picture book biography about beloved librarian and storyteller Augusta Braxton Baker, the first Black coordinator of children's services at all branches of the New York Public Library.

Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Kirkus Best Books of the Year Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year New York Public Library Best Books of the Year ALSC Notable Children's Books Horn Book Fanfare BolognaRazzi Award- Braw Amazing Bookshelf Sustainability Selection ILA 2025 Notable Books for a Global Society CLA/NCTE 2025 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts NCSS 2025 Septima P. Clark Book Award Winner (Middle Level) Five Starred Reviews

From an award-winning author and illustrator comes this picture book biography about beloved librarian and storyteller Augusta Braxton Baker, the first Black coordinator of children's services at all branches of the New York Public Library.

Before Augusta Braxton Baker became a storyteller, she was an excellent story listener. Her grandmother brought stories like Br'er Rabbit and Arthur and Excalibur to life, teaching young Augusta that when there's a will, there's always a way. When she grew up, Mrs. Baker began telling her own fantastical stories to children at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem. But she noticed that there were hardly any books at the library featuring Black people in respectful, uplifting ways. Thus began her journey of championing books, writers, librarians, and teachers centering Black stories, educating and inspiring future acclaimed authors like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin along the way.

As Mrs. Baker herself put it- ""Children of all ages want to hear stories. Select well, prepare well and then go forth and just tell.""
By:  
Illustrated by:   April Harrison
Imprint:   Dial Books for Young Readers,US
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 287mm,  Width: 227mm,  Spine: 11mm
Weight:   442g
ISBN:   9780593324202
ISBN 10:   059332420X
Pages:   40
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From 5 to 8 years
Audience:   Children/juvenile ,  English as a second language
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Breanna J. McDaniel (she/her/hers) is the co-founder of REIYL (Researchers Exploring Inclusive Youth Literature) and the award-winning author of the picture book Hands Up! and Impossible Moon. A proud alumna of Emory University and Simmons University, she is currently a PhD researcher at Cambridge University. April Harrison is a Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe award winning illustrator and renowned folk artist. Her work appears in the public collections of Vanderbilt University, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, the Atlanta Housing Authority, and the Erskine University Museum, as well as in many private collections.

Reviews for Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller

"★ ""Intricate details will draw novice readers back to the pages, while more experienced readers will find a treasure trove of biographical sources compiled by McDaniel . . . here’s thoughtfulness here in the craft and pacing of her prose, certainly; reverence, too, inthe textured layers of Harrison’s mixed-media and visual storytelling. But more than anything, simplecare is evident. Care for a Black librarian who sought out every gap a tale could bridge, who shattered barriers to ensure Black children would see themselves on library shelves, and whose legacy continues to this day exactly as it began—in the thrall of good stories."" —Kirkus, starred review ★ ""Brimming with color and texture, Harrison's illustrations incorporate acrylics, pen, and mixed-media collage elements that bestow a pleasing three-dimensional look to the scenes . . . Appended with a time line, sources, and author's note, this makes a worthy addition to library collections."" —Booklist, starred review ★ ""[A] glowing account of legendary storytelling librarian Baker . . . Harrison’s intricate mixed-media collagesemploy shifting scale to bring to life this vital history of a vital figure."" —Publishers Weekly, starred review"


  • Commended for Coretta Scott King Award (Illustrator) 2025

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