So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom By Gary D. Schmidt & Illustrated by Daniel Minter | Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival

So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom

By Gary D. Schmidt
& Illustrated by Daniel Minter

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but possessed a mind and a vision that knew no bounds. So Tall Within traces her life from her painful childhood through her remarkable emancipation to her incredible leadership in the movement for rights for both women and African Americans. Her story is told with lyricism and pathos by Gary D. Schmidt, one of the most celebrated writers for children in the twenty-first century, and brought to life by award winning and fine artist Daniel Minter. This combination of talent is just right for introducing this legendary figure to a new generation of children.

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Daniel Minter

Daniel Minter’s books for young people are read in schools and libraries around the world. He has illustrated over a dozen children’s books, including Going Down Home with Daddy which won a Caldecott Honor and Ellen’s Broom which won a Coretta Scott King Illustration Honor; Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story, winner of a Best Book Award from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio; and The Riches of Oseola McCarty, named an Honor Book by the Carter G. Woodson Awards. He was also commissioned in both 2004 and 2011 to create Kwanzaa stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. Minter is the Artist Director at Indigo Arts Alliance.

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This beautifully illustrated book blends poetic verses, narrative, and powerful quotes from Sojourner Truth, herself, to tell a story about the resiliency of an important figure in African-American history. As you read through the book, pay attention to the illustrations that accompany the poetic verses. These illustrations contain images that relate to the words in the poetic verses. Sometimes the image might be a snowflake or a leaf. Invite young readers to find the image in the illustration that connects to the words on the page.

So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom Read Aloud

Make/Do/Learn

Painting a Journey of Light & Truth

Isabella, forcibly separated from her family, found strength in the fact that the same moon and stars shone over them all. As Sojourner Truth, she began her journey to tell the truth about slavery under those same stars. Using watercolors and a wax resist technique, we invite you to tell your own truths and reveal the light in your words and art.