Inside, words make music.
Maya memorizes the rhythm,
sways to the exquisite dance,
the twisting, turning
conga line of language
that pulses across the page.
The words of others
live inside Maya now,
though she refuses to speak
to anyone ... "
In this eloquent picture book biography, Bethany Hegedus uses verse to tell Maya Angelou's story. It is both heartbreaking and uplifting. It begins when Maya and her brother Bailey are put on a train and sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Momma Henderson owns the general store there, and proves herself to be a loyal and formidable woman to her grandchildren. Life is good and bad in Stamps, but Momma cares for them until their mother calls them home again.
As before, Mother Vivian does not have much time for them. She has a boyfriend who abuses Maya; he spends one night in jail. The children then return to Momma Henderson where the only solace Maya finds is in reading. Meeting Mrs. Flowers, a woman who loves words, is a watershed moment for the young girl. Listening to Mrs. Flowers read allows Maya to be in awe of the words she hears.
Though she refuses to speak to anyone but Bailey following the abuse, Maya is filled with the beauty of words on the inside.
"Under Momma Henderson's bed,
under the stairs of the store,
Maya begins to read
aloud.
Slowly, Maya rises out of her grief
and confusion,
and does more than answer,
"Yes, ma'am." "No, sir."
Her words
her feelings,
her voice
welcome her home."
Life in the south becomes more dangerous. Momma sends the children back to their mother who is living in San Francisco, and living a better life. Maya never forgets what she has learned from her family and her life in Stamps. Her love of language and of San Francisco lead her to performing, and entertaining.
"Maya's feet tap to the jitterbug.
Her legs kick to the Lindy.
She is an entertainer.
A trolley car conductor.
A high school graduate.
A young mother.
Leaving home, Maya has to work many jobs -
flipping burgers,
stripping paint off cars -
all to support her son, Guy."
The rest of her story is more well-known: a writer, an activist, a civil rights supporter, a journalist ... a voice in the fight for human rights. She knows there is 'no safety in silence.'
Tonya Engel's acrylics and oils done in glowing, colorful paintings show the strength in women, in words, and in vision. Those words soar from Maya and the young people who find power in what she has to say.
Back matter includes a detailed timeline that is accompanied by archival photographs, a note from the author, a list of organizations that offer help to victims of abuse, and child advocacy. A selected bibliography is also included.
Outstanding, and very suitable for these times in our world.
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