The Life of Bessie Stringfield
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Creative Editions
(pub. 8.13.2024)
32 pages
Ages 8 - 12
Author: Janie Havemeyer
Illustrator: Jean Claverie
Character: Bessie Stringfield
Overview :
" A woman riding a motorcycle was shocking enough to Americans in the 1930s, but one who performed stunts and traveled cross-country by herself was practically unheard of! Ever defying expectations, Bessie Stringfield made an indelible mark as the “Motorcycle Queen,” but her story has often been overlooked. Revived here by author Janie Havemeyer and illustrator Jean Claverie, Bessie’s daring exploits showcase a woman of grit and determination who met life head on―and astride a motorbike."
Tantalizing taste:
"The next day, Bessie was a solo act.
The Motorcycle Queen raced up the slanted side of the Wall of Death. When she got to the top where it was steepest, she made a sharp left turn. She raced sideways along the top of the bowl, defying gravity. She was flying.
On her motorcycle, Bessie was free.
But Bessie wanted to do more than just stunts on her bike. She knew her life was meant for a higher purpose.
In 1941, America began fighting a war in Europe. The army needed motorcycle riders, but they weren't interested in girls. Betsy tried out anyway. She passed every test. [She became] the first female dispatch rider enlisted to deliver secret messages between U.S. army bases."
And something more: Such a beautiful book -- both the illustrations and the text and the presentation! I love the longer text for an older audience that is highlighted in separate columns of white next to the illustrations. Author Janie Havemeyer told me about her writing this book quite a few years ago. Congratulations! Janie shared in the Author's Note: "Jessie was a storyteller, and some of the things she shared, especially about her childhood, have since been proven false. It is likely that Bessie made up facts about her parents and where she grew up because the truth was hard. She was born in 1911, in North Carolina, and life there wasn't easy. Jim Crow laws told Black people what they could or couldn't do ... [And also all] her life, she fought against the stereotypes of what girls should do.… In 2002, Bessie was inducted into the American Motorcycle Hall of Fame."
Janie kindly shared with me some more fascinating tidbits to add to Bessie's story:
"Bessie loved performing in carnival stunt shows. In the 1930’s carnivals were traveling shows that toured the nation. Motorcycle riders, like Bessie, moved from carnival to carnival. Some of Bessie’s stunts were lying down on her bike and steering it with her feet. She rode sidesaddle. She stood up on the footpeg on one side of her bike. Then she would leap across the seat to stand on the footpeg on the other side. Bessie once said, 'I just crank up (my bike) and it talks to me.' Bessie and her bike shared a bond, much like a rider on a horse.
And here are some cool facts about motorcycles:
· In 1895 a French circus brought the first motorcycle to America.
· By 1920 Harley-Davidson was one the biggest makers of motorcycles. Bessie owned 27 Harley’s in her lifetime.
· In 1937 Sally Robinson was the first woman to get her motorcycle license.
· In the 1950’s American war soldiers from World War Two started motorcycle clubs. Biking in clubs was a way for returning soldiers to stay connected with each other. Biking also gave soldiers the same excited and nervous feeling they had felt fighting on the battlefield.
· Motorcycle riding is popular around the world today. The country with the most motorcycle riders is India."
Updated: Sep 16
The Life and Art of Barbara Cooney
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Random House Studio
(pub. 8.6.2024)
40 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Angela Burke Kunkel
Illustrator: Becca Stadtlander
Character: Barbara Cooney
Overview:
" Barbara was born in a hotel in Brooklyn, with a view of the city and the sea. Her father loved numbers and money. But Barbara and her mother loved art, and color, and light. Barbara’s favorite days were when she stayed home sick in bed and got to paint and draw.
In the summers, they left New York for Maine, where Barbara scrambled among the rocks, wind whipping her hair, light sparkling on the water. Summer was grey, and blue, and green, and free.
When Barbara grew up, she ventured out into the world with an art portfolio—she thought she might like to illustrate books. And she did, creating classics like Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, and Hattie and the Waves."
Tantalizing taste:
"The publisher allows for five simple colors. The book is a huge success. Because Barbara has drawn all this for herself.
And that is when Barbara
begins
to break
the rules,
to scratch the surface of what she can do.
Because life
isn't laid out
in black
and white."
And something more: The author, Angela Burke Kunkel, shared in the Author's Note: "Barbara Cooney also left a legacy beyond her career aw an author and illustrator, which spanned 60 years and 110 books, with her efforts to help build a new library in Damariscotta [Maine]. In additional to her own financial contributions, she organized an auction of work from other well-known illustrators to raise more funds... To borrow a phrase from her beloved Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney left the world more beautiful."
The Story of Mavis Staples
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Rocky Pond Books
(Penguin Random House)
(pub. 7.9.2024)
48 pages
Ages 6 - 9
Author: Mavis Staples and
Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Steffi Walthall
Character: Mavis Staples
Overview:
" At 85, Mavis Staples is still singing in front of large audiences and sharing her message of love, faith, and justice. She’s been performing since age eight as part of her family’s gospel group The Staple Singers, and has become one of America’s most admired musicians, with multiple Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
But Mavis has been more than a thrilling singer; she has also stood alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., at numerous Civil Rights protests where her voice was a rallying cry to the country."
Tantalizing taste:
"And perhaps the highest compliment,
she heard her golden oldies
sampled by new generations -
hip-hop artists like Ice Cube,
Whodini, Big Daddy Kane, and more.
Rap lyrics and the Staples's hits;
an unbroken circle of song,
with Mavis's mighty contralto
soaring above it all.
And something more: Lovely dedications in the book:
"To my dear family: Pops, Mom, Pervis, Cleedi, and Yvonne Staples " - Mavis Staples
" To all who lift their voices in protest and praise" - Carole Boston Weatherford
"To the music makers in my life" - Steffi Walthall
