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An American Story (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner) Hardcover – Picture Book, January 3, 2023

by Kwame Alexander (Author), Dare Coulter (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
Editors' pick Best Books Ages 6-8
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A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Book
A 2023 New York Times Best Children's Book
A 2023 Publisher's Weekly Best Picture Book
An NPR Best Book of the Year

#1 New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author of The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander, pens a powerful picture book that tells the story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher struggling to help her students understand its harrowing history.

From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people's struggle and strength, horror and hope. This is the story of American slavery, a story that needs to be told and understood by all of us. A testament to the resilience of the African American community, this book honors what has been and envisions what is to be.

With stunning mixed-media illustrations by Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winning artist Dare Coulter, this is a potent book for those who want to speak the truth. Perfect for family sharing, the classroom, and homeschooling.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years
  2. Print length
    56 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Dimensions
    10.75 x 0.5 x 10.75 inches
  6. Publisher
    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  7. Publication date
    January 3, 2023
  8. ISBN-10
    031647312X
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0316473125
  10. See all details
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New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade. New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade.

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From the Publisher

AN AMERICAN STORY | Kwame Alexander • Dare Coulter [painted image of hands mending an American flag]

How do you tell an American story?

For those who want to speak the truth [3D book image of AN AMERICAN STORY]

Be brave. Lift your voice. Hold history in one hand. Clench hope in the other.

An American Story The Door of No Return Why Fathers Cry at Night
An American Story The Door of No Return Why Fathers Cry at Night
Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
103
4.6 out of 5 stars
270
4.5 out of 5 stars
113
Price $11.43 $4.96 $21.57
Discover the acclaimed poetry of Kwame Alexander Tells the story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher struggling to help her students understand. The first book in a breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family. This powerful memoir features poetry, letters, and recipes, that provide an intimate look into the author's life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-In lyrical verse, Alexander tells the powerful story of American slavery and African resilience through the eyes of a teacher navigating students through this horrific period in American history. The shifting narrative moves between the teacher's account and the students' reactions, with Alexander magnifying the unfolding terror of a people stolen from home and thrust into slavery: "About sly men/ from cold places/ scheming/ and laughing/ on tall ships…/ while people/ shackled below,/ crammed in/ small, hot spaces,/ cry and/ sometimes die." Coulter's stunning mixed- media artwork illustrates the unflinching brutality of slavery and the beauty of a resilient people who "hold history in one hand and clench hope in the other." Classroom scenes are sketched in black against a warm yellow background, with expressive students and teacher working through the difficult lesson. Author and illustrator notes provide further context. VERDICT An excellent and essential first purchase for all collections; whether for curriculum-building or classroom-sharing, this book is unforgettable.-Rosemary Kiladitisα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

Praise for An American Story

An Indie Next List Pick

*"Beautifully crafted and brutally honest, this offers a thoughtful introduction to a necessary topic."
 ―Booklist, starred review

*"With powerful art from a bold new talent, this is a probing and sensitive take on a devastating chapter of U.S. history."―Kirkus, starred review

*"Alexander and Coulter have created a powerful counternarrative in their efforts to answer the question, “How do you tell a story about slavery?”―Horn Book, starred review

*"A layered, compassionate telling that considers how to relay difficult truths, and as the art converges into a visual of past and present together, stirring concluding lines suggest a route forward."―Publisher's Weekly, starred review

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (January 3, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 56 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 031647312X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316473125
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.29 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.75 x 0.5 x 10.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. Dare Coulter

    Dare Coulter

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    *2024 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award Winner*

    You can’t spell heart without art, and Dare Coulter has worked to create a career that focuses around heart-felt presentations of the human experience, life, joy, and resilience. Dare is an award-winning professional sculptor, artist, muralist, and illustrator. She has illustrated nine children’s books including Kwame Alexander’s Coretta Scott King Illustrator book award-winning “An American Story.”

    Dare creates imagery that reflects the fullness and vibrancy of the black cultural experience, and she focuses primarily on depictions of black people and families.

    Dare served as the city of Raleigh’s first ever artist-in-residence in conjunction with its Bus Rapid Transit program. While Dare is pursuing her dream of creating monumental sculptures to black joy all over the world, she is having a great time visiting schools and painting murals, and sharing her passion for art with the world.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Kwame Alexander

    Kwame Alexander

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, publisher, and New York Times Bestselling author of 35 books, including BECOMING MUHAMMAD ALI (co-authored with James Patterson), SOLO, REBOUND, which was shortlisted for prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, The Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book, THE UNDEFEATED, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and, his NEWBERY medal-winning middle grade novel, THE CROSSOVER. A regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Kwame is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Three NAACP Image Award Nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded. Kwame is the Founding Editor of VERSIFY, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that aims to Change the World One Word at a Time.

    Kwame's most recent book is LIGHT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE: A THOUSAND WORDS ON RACE AND HOPE. Find out more info on Kwame and where he'll be at www.KwameAlexander.com.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
103 global ratings
Speaks to the heart of a teacher
5 Stars
Speaks to the heart of a teacher
As a kindergarten teacher I dread MLK, Jr. week. It kills me to have to introduce the idea of racism and slavery to my innocent 5&6 year olds. It breaks my heart year after year to see the same shocked and confused looks on such sweet little faces as I teach them about such horrific atrocities. I constantly wonder if this were never introduced into their young little minds would it be better?This book helped me to think about a different way to teach about such an ugly part of our history and our present. Alexander eloquently speaks to the pain of having to teach this but also of the beauty in the strength of those enslaved.The note from the author in the back of the book...wow! Grace upon grace!No matter what praise I could give Dare Coulter for the stunning artwork to accompany Alexander's poetic words would fall short. I've never seen anything like this. Truly, truly amazing!!Teachers, if you don't purchase this book you are doing yourself and your students a disservice.
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Top reviews from the United States

Heidi Grange
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful and important book about the past and the present.
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Kwame Alexander and Dare Coulter have created a masterpiece with this book. I think Alexander's dedication says it best, "This is for the ones who want to speak the truth, the ones doing the hard and sacred work of nurturing young minds into beautiful human beings...the teachers." Told from the perspective of a teacher teaching a class of students, slavery and it's ramifications are presented to readers. One of the most powerful aspects of using poetry to tell such a tale is that every word is carefully chosen and specifically placed making meaning oh so deliberately. The interweaving of the past and present makes the book even more influential. As the teacher strives to help her students understand the horrors of slavery, her students help her understand the importance of speaking truth, no matter how difficult. The combination of Alexander's beautiful, descriptive words with Coulter's stunning illustrations. The incredible combination of art styles that Coulter uses come together in incredible ways. The use of sculpture as well as paint, charcoal, ink, and digital artwork makes the illustrations unique and all the more impressive. The difference styles also separate the past and the present references in the text. The author's and illustrator's notes at the end of the book give insight into the motives behind and techniques used in the book. This is a picture book intended for an older audience, that could be used at many different levels both for educational and personal use. A powerful reminder that as Alexander says in the text, "You can't change the past, but you can do better in the future."
3 people found this helpful
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Phillip K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Serious subject, expertly told
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
Kwame Alexander knows how important it is to explain this difficult and painful history. And as I have come to expect, he achieves this and more. As a teacher I know that younger children will struggle to understand. But for me 5th grade and higher would be ready, with some advance awareness.
One person found this helpful
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Jessica Shoemaker
5.0 out of 5 stars Every American should read
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
Every American should read this. It's tells a true story from a feeling base of Africans being forced to come to America and acknowledges how hard it is to talk and learn about it. The illustrations are such and amazing piece of art work and the story is simple but so insightful. A great read to start a conversation on enslavement
2 people found this helpful
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Leelee
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and beautiful book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
The artwork on the photos were extremely excellent. And the writing and plot of the book as well.
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Patty Rosebourgh
5.0 out of 5 stars Black history for all ages
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
The language is beautiful and the story is for all ages
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Christy Doucette
5.0 out of 5 stars Why Teach the Dark Parts of American History? This Book Provides an Explaination
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
It's hard to imagine someone who hasn't run into another American claiming that parts of American History are too ugly to share with children. In this book Kwame Alexander provides a kid-level apologetic lesson in why even the ugly needs to be pulled into the light, and how that can help us grow to be an even stronger, better nation.
I loved this book. And highly recommend it.
3 people found this helpful
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R. Bradley
5.0 out of 5 stars Classroom must-have
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book addresses the reality and harshness of slavery in a way that isn't about blaming. It focuses on shining a light on the past as a truth that cannot be erased, diminished, or sugarcoated. Our students need to hear these facts to understand our past, recognize injustice in our present, and take steps towards to a more united and equal nation. This is certainly a must-have read-aloud book for middle and even high school level classrooms.
9 people found this helpful
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Yolanda E. Woods
5.0 out of 5 stars great read for the young ones
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
enjoyed the book and illustrations
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