Bibliographic Citation: Woodson, Jacequeline. (2005). Show way. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Summary: “Show Way” quilts are secret maps that slaves seeking freedom would follow. The tradition of quilt making was passed down from mother to daughter in this author’s story about her family history.
Reviews: “Gr. 3-5. A Show Way is a quilt with secret meanings, and the image works as both history and haunting metaphor in this exquisite picture book. Based on Woodson's own history, the unforgettable story tells of African American women across generations, from slavery and the civil rights movement to the present…A must for the classroom, this story will move many readers to explore their own family roots.” Rochman, H. (2005). Show Way [Review excerpt]. Book Links, 15(2), 10-11. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
“This affecting, poetic paper-over-board picture book stands out from the first glance. On the innovative cover, a montage of black-and-white pictures of African-American captives, arranged to resemble a quilt, act as a background to a diamond-shaped die-cut opening that frames the image of an African-American girl holding a lighted candle. Woodson's (Coming on Home Soon) story, both historical and deeply personal, begins as a seven-year-old girl is sold into slavery and taken to a South Carolina plantation "without her ma or pa but with some muslin her ma had given her." There she learns to "sew colored thread into stars and moons and roads that slave children grew up and followed late in the night, a piece of quilt and the true moon leading them." Later, her daughter also stitches quilts that become "a Show Way" to guide captives escaping to freedom. The quilt becomes a metaphor not only for physical freedom but for freedom of expression. Long after emancipation, subsequent generations of women in this family stay connected through quilting, using needle and thread as a means of support and as a creative outlet. Woodson eventually reveals that this is her own lineage, and "[her] words became books that told the stories of many people's Show Ways." Talbott uses the quilt motif in rousing ways, piecing together quotes or news items for a pair of spreads about one generation "walking in a line to change the laws" as well as in softly quilted patterns that tie together the love of a child, a theme throughout this elegantly designed volume. Ages 5-up. (Sept.)” Show Way. (2005). Publishers Weekly, 252(36), 67. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Personal Impressions: This book has beautiful illustrations and shows the reader how the past, present, and future are all connected. I love how the author used a quilt to show how every person in her family, played an important part in their family history. Storytelling and sewing were passed down from generation to generation. The story shows the struggles for freedom and independence that one African American family had to endure. It’s also a story of hope and how a simple quilt became a symbol of hope.
Suggestions for Use: This would be a good read aloud for a Black History month program. It could also be used for a classroom study on the Underground Railroad and segregation.
No comments:
Post a Comment