Synopses & Reviews
As she teaches her granddaughter to sew a traditional sweetgrass basket, a grandmother weaves a story, going back generations to her grandfather's village in faraway Africa. There, as a boy, he learned to make baskets so tightly woven they could hold the rain. Even after being stolen away to a slave ship bound for America, he remembers what he learned and passes these memories on to his children - as they do theirs.
Review
"Gracefully constructed...as intricate as the baskets and the history to which it pays tribute." --
Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Clear poetic words and exquisite watercolor illustrations depict how the small circular basket holds the big circle of African-American history....Lewis' astonishing pictures combine the panoramas of upheaval and war with portraits of individuals in small circles weaving and passing on their heritage in craft and story." --
Booklist, Starred Review "Raven's text masterfully frames several hundred years of African-American history within the picture-book format. Lewis's double-page watercolor images are poignant and perfectly matched to the text and mood." --
School Library Journal"In solemn Gullah cadences, an old woman passes on to a grandchild centuries of history embodied in the Sea Islands' distinctive sweetgrass baskets...Powerfully evoking the passage of successive generations linked by the ancient skill." -- Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
With its rhythmic text and evocative paintings, this powerful picture book spirals through time, becoming a triumphant song that keeps the African heritage of making baskets alive--a rich story of a craft, a culture, and a people.
Synopsis
In teaching her granddaughter the craft of sewing baskets, a grandmother tells the story of their ancestors and passes along memories of struggle and freedom.
About the Author
Margot Raven and E. B. Lewis collaborated on Circle Unbroken, a Booklist Top 10 Black History Book for Youth. Their most recent picture book was Night Boat to Freedom, published by FSG in 2006. The author lives in Charleston, South Carolina. The artist, a Caldecott Honor Medalist for Coming on Home Soon, lives in Folsom, New Jersey.
Reading Group Guide
1. Students can research recent problems with the growth of urban areas and the availability of the reeds needed for basketmaking. What impact will this have on the continuity of the cultural traditions of the Sea Islands?
2. Research the Gullah dialect. Discuss how the slave trade led to the development of Creole languages blending English and African languages.
3. Have students find the Sea Islands, South Carolina, on a map and discover more about their geography. Construct a Venn diagram comparing the two types of islands: erosion remnant and barrier. Finally, the class can compare the geography of the Sea Islands with the West African countries of Sierra Leone and Senegal.
4. Have students try the different basketmaking techniques of plaiting and coiling. Compare and contrast the materials and techniques of traditional Native American and Gullah basketmaking. Linda Yamanes Weaving a California Tradition: A Native America Basketmaker (Lerner, 1997), with photographs by Dugan Aguilar, is a good resource.