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Books with author Faith Ringgold

  • Tar Beach

    Faith Ringgold

    Paperback (Dragonfly Books, Dec. 3, 1996)
    Illus. in full color. "Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture. Children will delight in the universal dream of mastering one's world by flying over it. A practical and stunningly beautiful book."--(starred) Horn Book.
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  • Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky

    Faith Ringgold

    Paperback (Dragonfly Books, Dec. 12, 1995)
    Illus. in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard. With Harriet Tubman as her guide, Cassie retraces the steps escaping slaves took on the real Underground Railroad and is finally reunited with her brother at the story's end.
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  • Tar Beach

    Faith Ringgold

    Hardcover (Knopf Books for Young Readers, Jan. 16, 1991)
    Illus. in full color. "Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture. Children will delight in the universal dream of mastering one's world by flying over it. A practical and stunningly beautiful book."--(starred) Horn Book.
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  • We Came To America

    Faith Ringgold

    Hardcover (Knopf Books for Young Readers, May 10, 2016)
    A timely and beautiful look at America’s rich history of immigration and diversity, from Faith Ringgold, the Coretta Scott King and Caldecot Honor winning creator of Tar Beach From the Native Americans who first called this land their home, to the millions of people who have flocked to its shores ever since, America is a country rich in diversity. Some of our ancestors were driven by dreams and hope. Others came in chains, or were escaping poverty or persecution. No matter what brought them here, each person embodied a unique gift—their art and music, their determination and grit, their stories and their culture. And together they forever shaped the country we all call home. Vividly expressed in Faith Ringgold’s sumptuous colors and patterns, We Came to America is an ode to every American who came before us, and a tribute to each child who will carry its proud message of diversity into our nation’s future. PRAISE FOR WE CAME TO AMERICA:**A 2017 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People** “As Americans wrestle with the moral and legal aspects of immigration, Ringgold offers a reminder of the country’s multifaceted lineage—and of the beauty to be discovered at cultural crossroads…. The simplicity of Ringgold’s text, combined with the captivating designs, makes this a compelling, must-have narrative for a wide audience.” –School Library Journal, starred review “Using a broad brush and folk style familiar from her story quilts, Ringgold pictures families of diverse heritage… her powerful voice emphasizes unity and mutual appreciation.” –Publishers Weekly “[A] timely look at the diverse makeup and backgrounds of the American people.” –Booklist
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  • If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks

    Faith Ringgold

    Paperback (Aladdin, Jan. 1, 2003)
    If a bus could talk, it would tell the story of a young African-American girl named Rosa who had to walk miles to her one-room schoolhouse in Alabama while white children rode to their school in a bus. It would tell how the adult Rosa rode to and from work on a segregated city bus and couldn't sit in the same row as a white person. It would tell of the fateful day when Rosa refused to give up her seat to a white man and how that act of courage inspired others around the world to stand up for freedom. In this book a bus does talk, and on her way to school a girl named Marcie learns why Rosa Parks is the mother of the Civil Rights movement. At the end of Marcie's magical ride, she meets Rosa Parks herself at a birthday party with several distinguished guests. Wait until she tells her class about this!
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  • We Came to America

    Faith Ringgold

    eBook (Knopf Books for Young Readers, May 10, 2016)
    A timely and beautiful look at America’s rich history of diversity, from Faith Ringgold, the Coretta Scott King and Caldecot Honor winning creator of Tar Beach From the Native Americans who first called this land their home, to the millions of people who have flocked to its shores ever since, America is a country rich in diversity. Some of our ancestors were driven by dreams and hope. Others came in chains, or were escaping poverty or persecution. No matter what brought them here, each person embodied a unique gift—their art and music, their determination and grit, their stories and their culture. And together they forever shaped the country we all call home. Vividly expressed in Faith Ringgold’s sumptuous colors and patterns, We Came to America is an ode to every American who came before us, and a tribute to each child who will carry its proud message of diversity into our nation’s future. PRAISE FOR WE CAME TO AMERICA: “As Americans wrestle with the moral and legal aspects of immigration, Ringgold offers a reminder of the country’s multifaceted lineage—and of the beauty to be discovered at cultural crossroads…. The simplicity of Ringgold’s text, combined with the captivating designs, makes this a compelling, must-have narrative for a wide audience.” –School Library Journal, starred review “Using a broad brush and folk style familiar from her story quilts, Ringgold pictures families of diverse heritage… her powerful voice emphasizes unity and mutual appreciation.” –Publishers Weekly “[A] timely look at the diverse makeup and backgrounds of the American people.” –Booklist
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  • Cassie's Word Quilt

    Faith Ringgold

    Paperback (Dragonfly Books, Jan. 15, 2004)
    In this 32-page lap book we join Cassie, the main character from the picture book Tar Beach. As she takes us on a tour of her home, neighborhood, and school, dozens of new words are introduced with simple labels throughout. Young readers will love the simple story line and all the new words they’ll encounter. They’ll relish the beautifully designed spreads, each with its own quilt motif. The bright, boldly colored pages will attract even the youngest lookers, and the words will teach pre-reading skills to slightly older children. The size makes it perfect for story hours, and the price makes it perfect for every home.
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  • Dinner at Aunt Connie's House

    Faith Ringgold

    Paperback (Hyperion, Sept. 1, 1996)
    At Aunt Connie's house this year, Melody gets to go swimming, eat great food, meet her new cousin, and investigate twelve paintings of famous African-American women, including Rosa Parks, Zora Neale Houston, and Mary McLeod Bethune. Reprint. K.
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  • If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks

    Faith Ringgold

    Hardcover (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Nov. 1, 1999)
    If a bus could talk, it would tell the story of a young African-American girl named Rosa who had to walk miles to her one-room schoolhouse in Alabama while white children rode to their school in a bus. It would tell how the adult Rosa rode to and from work on a segregated city bus and couldn't sit in the same row as a white person. It would tell of the fateful day when Rosa refused to give up her seat to a white man and how that act of courage inspired others around the world to stand up for freedom. In this book a bus does talk, and on her way to school a girl named Marcie learns why Rosa Parks is the mother of the Civil Rights movement. At the end of Marcie's magical ride, she meets Rosa Parks herself at a birthday party with several distinguished guests. Wait until she tells her class about this!
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  • Harlem Renaissance Party

    Faith Ringgold

    Hardcover (HarperCollins, Jan. 27, 2015)
    Caldecott Honor artist Faith Ringgold takes readers on an unforgettable journey through the Harlem Renaissance.Lonnie and his uncle go back to Harlem in the 1920s. Along the way, they meet famous writers, musicians, artists, and athletes, from Langston Hughes and W.E.B. Du Bois to Josephine Baker and Zora Neale Hurston and many more, who created this incredible period. And after an exciting day of walking with giants, Lonnie fully understands why the Harlem Renaissance is so important.Faith Ringgold's bold and vibrant illustrations capture the song and dance of the Harlem Renaissance while her story will captivate young readers, teaching them all about this significant time in our history. A glossary and further reading list are included in the back of the book.
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  • The Invisible Princess

    Faith Ringgold

    Hardcover (Crown Books for Young Readers, Dec. 7, 1998)
    Born as a slave, a beautiful princess was made invisible by the Powers of Nature and whisked away by the Prince of Night even before her parents, Mama and Papa Love, could name her. Years pass, and Patience, the blind daughter of the evil plantation owner, Captain Pepper, has a vision of a beautiful black girl playing in the cotton fields. Captain Pepper, recalling the rumor of a slave child who mysteriously vanished, threatens the slaves and vows to harm Mama and Papa Love if the girl is not found. Patience hears his threats and warns the princess, who now makes herself known to her parents to help save them. She tells them of her magical and free life and that now is the time to fulfill the destiny given her by the Great Lady of Peace, who promised that she would one day grow up to bring freedom to the slaves on the plantation. Mama and Papa Love and all the slaves are made invisible, and together with the Invisible Princess they prosper in the Invisible Village of Peace, Freedom, and Love. An original African-American fairy tale set during the time of slavery, this beautiful, astonishing book from Coretta Scott King winner and Caldecott Honor winner Faith Ringgold will prove to be a treasure for years to come.
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  • Henry Ossawa Tanner: His Boyhood Dream Comes True

    Faith Ringgold

    Hardcover (Bunker Hill Publishing Inc, Nov. 16, 2011)
    This is the story of a small African American boy who followed his dream and became one of America's most important painters, recognized and praised in both America and Europe. When he was just thirteen years old, Henry ran across a man painting in a Philadelphia park. Inspired to paint himself, Henry was given enough money to buy some brushes and pigments by his mother--and so his adventure began. Henry Ossawa Tanner was no ordinary young man. He was born in 1859, just two years before the Civil War began. His middle name, Ossawa, was taken from the town of Osawatomie in Kansas, the site of an anti-slavery raid. The oldest of seven children, Henry graduated from one of the few secondary schools for Black people in Philadelphia before studying under Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Later he went to France, where he had heard Black artists were accepted without prejudice. Indeed, not only were his paintings exhibited every year in the Paris Salon but in 1923, he was made a chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor, France's highest award for an artist. Henry Ossawa Tanner: His Boyhood Dreams Come True is Faith Ringgold's fifteenth book for children. Her illustrations capture all the joy and passion of her previous stories--including Tar Beach, which has won more than thirty awards, including a Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award.
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