Sunday, September 20, 2009

Most Loved in All the World by Tonya Cherie Hegamin

Hegamin, Tonya Cherie Most Loved in All the World, A story of freedom illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera. Houghton Mifflin, 2009 PICTURE BOOK - Language G, Sexual Content G, Violence PG – This heartbreaking story of mother's love is an authentic and powerful account of the Underground Railroad. Told by a little girl in dialect and illustrated by world renowned dollmaker, Cozbi Cabrera, this beautiful book shows the misery and torture of a slave mother as well as her courage and sacrifice in giving up her daughter so the little girl can have a chance at freedom. The mother is whipped as she works long hours in the cotton fields and then comes home each night to her little girl and makes her a quilt with symbols to guide her to freedom and to show her that she is the "most loved in all the world". Somber, dark paintings and beautiful quilt squares illustrate this unique and heartfelt book. Adopted children can find special meaning in this story of a mother who gives up her beloved child so her child can have a better life. This is not a book that children will choose on their own but could be used beautifully in the classroom to teach about slavery and the underground railroad. EL - ADVISABLE. Janell Pearce-Mattheus, Youth Services Librarian, Whitmore Library.

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