Review of Miles Of Style

Eunice W. Johnson and the EBONY Fashion Flair

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Lee & Low Books

(pub. 2.6.2024)

40 pages

Ages 6 - 11

Author: Lisa D. Brathwaite

   Illustrator: Lynn Gaines

Character: Eunice W. Johnson

Overview of review of MILES OF STYLE:

" Eunice W. Johnson believed in the power of fashion and beauty to inspire people. After she and her husband, John H. Johnson, founded EBONY magazine, it quickly became the premiere lifestyle publication for mid-century Black readers. Among the many hats she wore, Eunice delighted in writing a fashion column describing the latest styles.

In 1958, Eunice launched a project that would change fashion forever--the EBONY Fashion Fair. In towns and cities across the United States, Black models walked the runway in the freshest trends that season and Black attendees got to see people who looked like them in bright colors and haute couture.

To make the Fashion Fair happen every year, Eunice negotiated with snobby fashion houses in Europe and navigated racism back home in the US, to acquire the most show-stopping styles for her show. Decades later, her name remains a watchword for glamour and elegance in the Black community"

Tantalizing taste:

"The EBONY Fashion Fair 'Americana' tour took off in September 1963…Backs straight, heads held high, the graceful models sashayed, and posed on the runway to a lively piano accompaniment. Feathers flipped and fluttered. Beachwear blazed and beckoned. Shifting sequins shimmered. The sparkle from jewels jumped in the light. A commentator's witty quips added to the excitement.

What a show!"

And something more: Lisa D. Brathwaite, in the Author's Note shares: "I carry fond childhood memories of thumbing through the magazine's issues that graced my family's coffee table. I'd mimic the models, holding my head high. I'm hopeful EBONY's cultural legacy built by John. H. Johnson and Eunice W. Johnson will continue to flourish and inspire future generations."

Review of A Grand Idea

How William J. Wilgus Created Grand Central Terminal

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Quill Tree Books

(Harper Collins)

(pub.1.23.2024)

48 pages

Ages 4-8

Author: Megan Hoyt

   Illustrator: Dave Szalay

Character: William J. Wilgus

Overview:

" There was once a place in New York City that had a tennis club, movie theater, and art gallery—all in the same building! It also had a secret passageway, a huge library, and even a ski slope.

This astounding building is Grand Central Terminal, and it was the work of one brilliant man: William J. Wilgus. When William, an experienced engineer, wanted to create a new electric-powered train system, he knew he needed to house this special fleet somewhere exceptional. His grand idea of a solution? An underground multilevel train station that would become an iconic New York landmark, and one that is still an integral part of the city over a century later."

Tantalizing taste:

"Finally, they came up with a solid plan.

Grand Central Terminal's main concourse would be 275 feet long and 120 feet

wide, with a ceiling towering 125 feet at its tallest point. The biggest cluster

of sculptures ever built would adorn its magnificent exterior."

And beneath it would run two levels of shiny new electric trains on sixty-seven steel tracks.

No more smoke.

No more sparks.

No more accidents."

And something more: At the back of the book, More About William J. Wilgus and Grand Central Terminal states: "... Grand Central Terminal opened right on time, at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, February 2, 1913. It has been running ever since - closing only for a few brief power outages and railway strikes. William J. Wilgus was awarded many honors for his work and even received honorary doctorate degrees from two different universities. For a man who barely finished high school, his accomplishments, like his Grand Central Terminal, were magnificent."

Pedal, Balance, Steer - Annie Londonderry

Annie Londonderry, the First Woman

to Cycle Around the World

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Calkins Creek

(Astra Books for Young Readers)

(pub. 2.20.2024)

40 pages

Ages 7 - 10

Author: Vivian Kirkfield

   Illustrator: Alison Jay

Character: Annie Londonderry

Overview:

" In the 1890s, times were tough, and opportunities for women were few and far between. When mother-of-three Annie Londonderry saw an ad promising $10,000 to a woman who could cycle around the world in a year, something no one thought possible, she decided it was time to learn to ride. She waved goodbye to her family in Boston and set off for Chicago.

Annie was exhausted when she arrived fifty-nine days later—and she realized she’d never make it across the Rockies before winter, and certainly not riding a heavy women’s bike and wearing a corset and petticoats. So Annie got herself a better bicycle and comfortable bloomers, and headed back East to try a different route. Facing robbers, sprained ankles, and disapproving stares, Annie missed her family and wanted to quit. But she journeyed on, all over the world. And, when she finally reached California and the Southwest, she kept pedaling. Her family was counting on the prize money, and people around the world, especially women, were watching.

Annie came through for all of them, arriving in Chicago fourteen days before her deadline and proving that women could do just about anything."

Tantalizing taste:

"But Annie was determined to win the wager, provide a better life for her children, and prove that a woman could take care of herself.

Once in the city, Annie sold autographed photos, served as a clerk in different stores, and wheeled her way through the streets of Paris, adorning her body and her bike with ribbons advertising French companies, earning francs with every flutter."

And something more: VIvian Kirkfield, in the Author's Note writes: "This twenty-four-year-old Jewish mother of three was a most unlikely candidate for such a wager. But her idol was journalist Nelly Bly, who had traveled around the world eight years before to challenge Jules Verne's fictional record of traversing the globe in eighty days. Upon Annie's return, she moved her family to New York City, got a job as a journalist for the New York World, and published accounts of her exploits."