And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life in Stories

PreS-Gr 3–From the moment Toni Morrison drew chalk drawings on the sidewalk, she was a storyteller. Telling the story in verse, Pinkney's beautiful homage to Morrison begins in her birthplace of Lorain, OH. Her childhood was filled with playing with her siblings, hopscotch, and ABCs. Morrison went on to study at Howard University and it was there that she left behind her birth name, Chloe Ardelia for a childhood nickname, Toni. After graduating, she became first a teacher, and then an editor, ushering Black writers into what was a predominantly white space. After reading others’ stories, she decided to tell stories of her own, eventually publishing a long list of her venerable classics. Pinkney's expertly woven lines tell the story of how the girl who was playing games with her siblings became the phenomenal writer behind so many works. Floral patterns and line drawings merge in vibrant illustrations to create unique pieces of art that adorn each spread.