This book!!!!
Oh my heart! What an amazing story of resilience, commitment and perseverance. Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera is an amazing biography picture book about the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize. Gwnedolyn’s story is the perfect book to share with our students at the beginning of the school year because her story is a great reminder to all of us that achieving important work takes time. Gwendolyn loved words and poetry and since childhood she’s been playing with words, observing the world and writing her thinking in the form of poetry. She noticed loneliness, love, loss and as she was learning her place in the world, she continued to write. She had a lot to say but not everyone gave her the chance to be heard. It took her years of determination, of believing in her craft and never stopped writing until she became a published author. Students, regardless of age, will understand that when we want something big in life, it might take time, but we must never stop trying. I can’t recommend this book enough as we welcome ours students back to our community of learning while still facing a global pandemic.
