Young Zora loves listening to stories and telling her own tales, even though her religious father looks down on these so-called lies. But her mother encourages her to jump for the sun with her imagination and drive, something that Zora keeps in mind throughout her life until she eventually becomes a published author whose stories are still read today.

This was a very well done picture book biography. It has to deal with difficult topics such as death of a parent, poverty, and more, but it does so with just enough details for young readers to understand what is going on without so many specifics that it's frightening. The author's note at the end does provide more information but keeps it strictly factual. Backmatter also includes sources for this book and a bibliography of Zora Neal Hurston's works broken down into those appropriate for a child audience and those meant for adults.

The sun-jumping refrain is repeated throughout in the text but also more subtly as a theme in the illustrations, which are imbued with rich yellows and oranges like a bright, cloudless day and deep reds and pinks like a sunset. The language used is colloquial, giving a sense of Zora Neale Hurston's style while being uniquely its own. Both the text and the illustrations do a lovely job of showing the tall tales of Hurston's childhood constantly being on her mind, with little images of Brer Fox and others hidden throughout the landscape and dialogue bubbles spilling onto the edges of pages to begin stories... Some illustrations also have bits of typewriter text seeping through, another nice nod to Zora's life and work. ( )

Zora Neale Hurston, born in 1891, was an African American anthropologist, author, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South. The most popular of her four novels was Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. She also wrote more than 50 short stories, plays, and essays.

She grew up in Eatonville, Florida, one of the first all-Black towns incorporated in the United States, a place she used in settings for many of her stories.

She was the fifth of eight children; her father was a Baptist preacher and her mother was a schoolteacher. Her mother always told her to reach high, the author reports, to “jump at de sun. You might not land on de sun, but at least you’d get off de ground.”

Williams juxtaposes the narrative with examples of the colloquial prose used in Zora’s stories, set apart by speech balloons that also illustrate Zora’s love of folk stories.

Zora’s mother died when Zora was 13, but Zora never forgot her support and encouragement, especially when, a year later, her father remarried. Her new stepmother evicted her when Zora was 14.

Zora stayed with friends and worked odd jobs for twelve years, traveling from Florida to Baltimore, in and out of school. Finally at age 28 she was able to attend Howard University, where she met successful writers and decided she could be one too.

In 1925 she moved to New York City and joined others in the Harlem Renaissance.

She started winning literary contests in magazines, and Barnard College offered her a scholarship. For a college project, she went back to Eatonville to collect Negro folklore, but didn’t stop there. She traveled all through the South and the Caribbean to gather folktales, finally settling in Florida to write books. Zora, the author writes, “like her mama always dreamed - reached the sun.”

An Author’s Note tells how the author discovered Zora’s work while in college and fell in love with it. She writes that “Zora garnered numerous awards for her plays, articles, musical revues, and novels, yet she never received the financial gains that she deserved.” Later in life Zora even had to work as a maid to survive, and ended her life in a welfare home in 1960. But over sixty years later, her work is still being published. The author concludes with some suggestions for additional reading, and a list of sources.

Illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara uses a colorful palette that includes not only historical details, like Zora’s many hats, but also whimsical folktale figures that surround Zora as she works.

Evaluation: This introduction to Zora Neale Hurston for readers 4 and over is not only inspiring, but will no doubt have readers clamoring to read some of Zora’s folktales for themselves. ( )

I enjoy diving into picture books, which introduce young listeners/readers to individuals, who made an impact on the world around them...but are often lost in the shadows. This books centers around Zora Neale Hurston, a woman who grew up at the beginning of the 1900's and had an large impact not only on the literary world but pulled through at a time where her gender and race put up huge barriers for her to overcome.

A young girl full of spunk and life introduces this book...and makes listeners wish right away they could join her. Not only are the descriptions of her childhood antics fun but the illustrations present her as a girl, who dreamed, allowed herself to dive into adventures, and yet, wasn't a trouble-maker. These pages especially pull in.

The book switches modes as it follows Nora's life. I always find this a challenge for picture books, since becoming an adult with adult battles and adult successes are very hard to bring across in a way which will connect with the intended audience. In this case, the audience will probably slide more into the 5 to 10 years age group because the text is on the heavier side, at times, and the wording isn't easy...but I'll get back to that in a second. While the author keeps the energy high, and the illustrations do a terrific job at grabbing attention the entire way through, there were moments in the middle, which I wanted to skim instead of read...especially during her education years and beginning jobs and such. As said, it's an almost impossible task to get kids not only to relate to, but even to understand what an adult has gone through. But this book does do a pretty good job and keeps it lively, even when not every situation will resonate with the audience (but adults will learn quite a bit too).

The roughest part in this one is probably the slang and mentioned people/stories. Brer Rabbit's antics are hinted at...and while I loved this tale as a child (although I didn't understand every word), I don't know of many children who recognize it now. Slang terms to connect to Zora's life are also used, and while being important for listeners to hear, it also makes understanding and reading aloud a bit difficult at times. And yet, it gives it an important authenticity.

Anyone wanting to learn more about Zora Neale Hurston and her life will enjoy this one.

I received an ARC copy and enjoyed this journey through Zora's life quite a bit. ( )