Jump At The Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston is a captivating picture book biography that you’ll want on your shelf. The lyrical text paired with the vibrant illustrations brought joy to our fourth grade classroom. I’ll let the young readers say it all:
On Alicia D. Williams’s Craft:
- S loved the repetition of “jump at the sun” because it felt like a message–stick with your dreams.
- V loved that “jump at the sun” was figurative language. She shared, “She [Zora Neale Hurston] couldn’t actually jump at the sun, but she could make her mom proud. And she did!”
On Jacqueline Alcántara’s Illustrations:
- B & E both loved that the pictures helped tell the story. B elaborated on his thinking by explaining, “The illustrations told a lot of the story. They gave me a better understanding of what was happening.” He flipped to the following spread to share an example. This was his favorite page:
On Zora Neale Hurston’s Life:
- E loved how Zora “said so many stories and always did the right thing.” When asked to say more, she explained: “She didn’t do it [storytelling] for the money, she did it because she wanted to.”
Zora Neale Hurston loved collecting stories. 
Zora Neale Hurston loved writing stories. 
Zora Neale Hurston loved listening to stories.
