SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: ON HER WINGS
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.jerdinenolen.com/
CITY: Ellicott City
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 357
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born April 6, 1953, in Crystal Springs, MS; daughter of Eugene (Sr.) and Eula Nolen; married Anthony L. Harold (an administrator and educator), May 27, 1988; children: Matthew, Jessica.
EDUCATION:Northeastern Illinois University, B.A., 1975; Loyola University, M.Ed., 1981.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Educator and writer. James Weldon Johnson Elementary School, New Orleans, LA, special education teacher, 1974-75; Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, IL, special education teacher, 1975-76, learning disabilities resource teacher, 1986-87; Martin Luther King Experimental Laboratory School, Evanston, IL, elementary education teacher, 1976-85; Baltimore County Public schools, Baltimore, MD, special education teacher, 1987-94, English/language arts specialist, 1994-96, Title I and family involvement specialist, 1996—. Arabesque Ladies’ Clothing Boutique, Evanston, buyer and window designer, 1980-87; teacher in Maryland middle schools, 1987-94.
MEMBER:National Council of Teachers of English, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Authors Guild, Maryland State Teachers Association, Chicago Reading Round Table, Baltimore Writers Alliance, Black Literary Umbrella (cofounder), Delta Kappa Gamma International Society of Teachers (Xi chapter).
AWARDS:Northwood Institute Alden B. Dow Creativity Center fellowship award, 1981; artist-in-residence, Chicago Office of Fine Arts, 1985-86; Chicago Office of Fine Arts block grant award, 1986, for “Writing Folktales”; Chicago Foundation for Education grant, 1987, for “Black History: A Talking Book”; National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship for classroom teachers, 1988, 1990, 1992; Council for Basic Education fellowship, 1993; Notable Book citation, American Library Association, and International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice selection, both 1995, Delaware Blue Hen Picture-Book Award, Maryland Black-eyed Susan Picture-Book Award, and Kentucky Blue Grass Award, all 1996, Indiana Hoosiers Picture-Book Award and Washington State Children’s Choice Picture-Book Award, both 1997, and Arizona Young Readers’ Award, 1998, all for Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm; Smithsonian Notable Book selection, Christopher Award, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, all 1998, all for Raising Dragons; Trish Cooke Award; Bank Street Best Book of the Year, for Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life; Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, for Thunder Rose.
WRITINGS
Contributor of stories and readings to books, including Talk That Talk, Simon & Schuster, 1989; People We Know, Harcourt Brace, 1991; Places We Know, Harcourt Brace, 1991; and ENGLISH in Charge, Scott Foresman. Contributor of stories and poems to Ebony, Jr!, and American Poetry Review.
Disney adapted Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm as an episode of television’s Wonderful World of Disney program.
SIDELIGHTS
Jerdine Nolen is an educator as well as the author of popular picture books such as Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm and Raising Dragons, both of which chronicle marvelous and exuberant goings-on down in rural areas. Like many of Nolen’s stories, these books focus on African American characters, and their texts blend southern patois, rural colloquialisms, and big-hearted humor. Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm was the recipient of a number of awards and made first-time author Nolen something of a celebrity when it was featured on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) Morning News and appeared in elementary classrooms around the United States. In the years since, she has continued to win over young children by producing whimsical stories such as Plantzilla, Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, and Thunder Rose as well as family-centered tales such as Christmas in the Time of Billy Lee and Pitching in for Eubie.
Regarding her beginnings, Nolen once told SATA: “While my mother was pregnant with me, she went South to care for her own mother, who was ill. That is how I came to be born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi.” After the death of her grandmother four months later, Nolen’s family returned North, where young Nolen was raised in Chicago with her five sisters and two brothers. Because of her family’s strong Southern roots, she felt like an outsider in the Midwest, and her Southern cultural heritage eventually found its way into her stories for children.
“Growing up in such a large family, I had to have a good sense of humor—to make up for a lack of space,” the author once told SATA. “My sisters and brothers were pretty funny, too—but my father said I was ‘right witty.’” Because of her upbringing and her imaginative nature, Nolen developed an early love of words, and published her first poem—a Thanksgiving verse—in her school paper as a second grader. “It was printed on pink paper,” Nolen reminisced to SATA, “and I still remember the joy I felt to see my name in print.”
Nolen’s love of words took her to Northeastern Illinois University, where she majored in special education, and then, after teaching several years, attended Loyola University where she earned a master’s degree in education in 1981. She worked as an elementary and special education teacher in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Chicago before moving to a job with the Baltimore County Public Schools, where she became an English and language arts specialist and served students of poorer families. All the while, she continued writing: for her students, for textbooks, and for her own personal enjoyment.
In an interview on the Brown Bookshelf website, Nolen talked with Tameka Fryer Brown about her youth and the formative aspects that led to her becoming a writer. Nolen recalled: “When I do school and library visits I love to tell young people about my young life. I think we are all so eager to know about each other. I remember feeling desperate and starved to hear the stories of my parents’ childhood. It didn’t matter what it was they were telling me, how they walked to school or got in trouble. I simply loved hearing about when they were my age—in ‘the olden days.’ So, when students ask what I did for fun when I was a little girl, I tell them about ‘my olden days.’”
Nolen continued: “I don’t think I was ever bored as a child. I was always making up games. I enjoyed the company of my dolls or my little toy lamb, and I enjoyed my own company. Among some of the other things I did to amuse myself, I collected words. I collected words because I liked the way certain words sounded, what they meant, how they made me laugh because they sounded so silly. And I loved putting words together.”
Nolen’s first picture book, Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, grew out of a classroom assignment. While teaching a first-and-second-grade combination class as part of a six-member team, she conducted a unit on money. As she later recalled to SATA: “We taught the students what money was, what it looked like, and we explored what it was for. For a culminating activity, each of the six classrooms was turned into a store securing a single community. There was a bakery, a movie theater, a popcorn store, a book store, a food store, and a balloon farm. Some products were: balloons, wind socks (made from paper), small kites, and antique balloons made from papier maché. That summer, as I was scrubbing the tiles in my shower, I got the first line of what later developed into Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm: ‘Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed.’ At the time I was writing that line, I had no idea that Harvey Potter was strange because he grew balloons. That was a delightful surprise. I guess there really is no wasted motion in the universe.”
Harvey Potter is a farmer who grows multi-colored balloons atop long sturdy stalks planted in rows like a corn field. His balloons are grown to order and can be shaped like clowns, monsters, or animals. When a young African American girl decides to learn how the farmer creates his balloon magic, she discovers that he dances at night in his field and waves a magic stick. The little girl grows up to become a balloon farmer as well, but in her case the balloons are a root crop.
Writing in Horn Book, Ann A. Flowers called Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm “lively and unusual” and also cited Mark Buehner’s “vivid, air-brushed illustrations of balloons with expressive faces in every size, color, and shape.” A Kirkus Reviews critic cited the “wonderfully appealing premise” in Nolen’s tale and in Booklist, Mary Harris Veeder wrote that the author’s “‘true truth’ style contrasts delightfully with the pictures of Harvey’s crop.” For School Library Journal critic Kathleen Whalin, Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm treats readers to “the best sort of fantasy—imaginative, inventive, and believable,” and predicted that the story “should sail into every library shelf.”
Like Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, Nolen sets Raising Dragons in the country and features a young African American girl. Instead of balloons, however, here her focus is on an egg that is discovered near the young girl’s farm. When it hatches, out pops a tiny dragon whom the girl names Hank. At first her parents do not like Hank, but their opinions change when the dragon helps out by planting Pa’s seeds and rescuing Ma’s wilting crop of tomato plants. Hank ultimately grows to the size of a barn, and as a full-grown, fire-breathing dragon he can pop a whole field of corn with a single fiery breath.
Reviewing Raising Dragons, a Kirkus Reviews critic described the picture book as a “fresh and cheery tall tale, told in an appropriately matter-of-fact tone,” and Susan P. Bloom wrote in Horn Book that “Nolen’s chimerical text meets its match in [Elise] Primavera’s imaginative and bold acrylic and pastel illustrations.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer dubbed Raising Dragons an “enchanting blend of the real and unreal” in which Nolen’s understated tone “adds a layer of humor” to her unusual tale. “Youngsters will hanker to go on this journey,” the critic predicted, and “it will set their imagination soaring.”
In Plantzilla, “Nolen delivers another picture book with a far-out premise and plenty of heart,” observed a Publishers Weekly reviewer. When third grader Mortimer Henryson gets permission to care for his class’s unusual plant over summer vacation, trouble ensues: the plant grows uncontrollably, moves about on its own, and develops a taste for fresh meat that coincides unpleasantly with the disappearance of the family dog. Nolen tells her story through letters sent from Mortimer and his mom to Mr. Lester, the boy’s science teacher, and as Lauren Peterson noted in Booklist much humor is generated from “the contrast between Mortimer’s glowing reports of life with Plantzilla and frantic communications from Mortimer’s mother.” As the summer unwinds, Plantzilla thrives under the boy’s tender care and eventually proves to be a valuable family member. “Readers, plant-lovers or otherwise, will find this vegetative visitor taking root in their affections,” noted a critic writing in Kirkus Reviews.
Also illustrated by Catrow, Plantzilla Goes to Camp finds Plantzilla becoming a camp counselor after hearing that Mortimer is having a rough time due to a bullying fellow camper. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews proposed that readers who giggle to songs such as “Allan Sherman’s classic ditty Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah … will camp out around this cousin,” and in School Library Journal, Blair Christolon predicted that fans of Plantzilla “will enjoy poring over the pictures time and time again.”
(open new)Nolen collaborated with actress Tiffany Haddish to write the 2022 book, Layla, the Last Black Unicorn. In this volume, Layla has spent her early years in the Overlook Woods, looked after by a black troll named Trevin. During her first day at school, called Unicornia, the other unicorns tease Layla for being from the woods. Layla does not want to go back to school, but Trevin reassures her. On a class trip to the woods, a disaster occurs, but Layla and her forest-dwelling friends help calm her classmates down and bring them back to safety. Reviewing the volume in School Library Journal, Emily Brush commented: “It offers a mild lesson of resilience but a rarely seen cast of diverse fantasy woodland characters.” Referring to Layla, a Kirkus Reviews critic remarked: “The details of her world make this a fresh take, a fun way to explore aspects of identity and culture.” “This is a great read for children who need reassurance about going to school and making friends,” asserted Tiffany Flowers in Booklist.(close new—more below)
While many of Nolen’s stories are fanciful, others are grounded in everyday life. In Christmas in the Time of Billy Lee a girl finds a way to add joy to the holiday season in her impoverished Southern town, while Pitching in for Eubie chronicles a family’s effort to earn the money needed to send their son to college. A contributor to Publishers Weekly observed that Nolen achieves “a good balance of dialogue and description” in Pitching in for Eubie, and in Booklist, Hazel Rochman described the underlying theme of the story as “something rare in children’s books—the dignity of hard work.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that E.B. Lewis’s “finely rendered realistic paintings bring life” to the story’s characters and Kristin Yetter wrote in Childhood Education that Nolen’s “uplifting story” reminds readers “that no matter your age or circumstances, there are plenty of ways to be helpful to others in need.”
An history-themed story for older readers, Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary is set in Virginia in 1854 and introduces a young slave who is alone now that her mother has been sold at auction. In her diary, which she keeps in secret, twelve-year-old Eliza decides to risk her life for a chance at freedom after she learns that she, too, is destined for auction. Memories of the stories her mother once told and also represented on the colorful hand-sewn story quilt Eliza now treasures guide the preteen as she makes her moonlit escape and finds her way along the Underground Railroad. While describing the difficulties faced by her young heroine, Nolen “keeps her focus on those things that … [empower Eliza],” noted a Kirkus Reviews writer: “Literacy, her mother’s legacy, a bit of luck and a great deal of courage,” Reviewing the story in School Library Journal, Riva Pollard suggested that “Eliza’s story serves as an effective vehicle” to highlight the many commonalities between “important folktales and Bible stories.”
Also focusing on the time before slavery was abolished, Nolen crafts an original tall tale in Big Jabe, introducing a special young man who does wonderful things for the slaves on the Plenty Plantation. “Part Moses, part John Henry” is how Rochman described Nolen’s hero in her Booklist review. Found floating in a basket on the river as an infant, Jabe soon grows to gigantic proportions and has the strength of fifty men. He helps his people with hard labor and in bad times helps them to disappear. In Rochman’s view, “Nolen dramatizes the strength of community and of story” with Big Jabe, and a reviewer in Publishers Weekly remarked that “folklore and history give an uncommonly rich patina to this freshly inspiring original tale set in slave times.” The same critic called Nolen’s story an “eloquent tale” that “empower[s] the audience to confront an unbearable history and come away with hope,” while in Horn Book a reviewer concluded of Big Jabe that “this powerful story will be particularly effective shared aloud.”
(open new)Nolen shares details of the life of a celebrated Black author in On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison. Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in 1931 in Ohio and experienced racism during her childhood. However, her talent with words allowed her to rise to the top of her class. After becoming a Catholic, she changed her name to Anthony but told friends to call her Toni. She attended Howard University and later married an architect named Harold Morrison. Before publishing her own writings, Morrison worked as an editor. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, found Morrison writing about the Black experience in America. She continued to center Black characters in the works that followed. Angela Leeper, contributor to Booklist, commented: “While some scenes charm with realism and others delight with magical elements, all … inspire awe.” A Kirkus Reviews critic described the volume as “an uplifting glimpse into the life of one of America’s most distinguished writers.”(close new)
An African American girl possessing extraordinary gifts is the protagonist of Thunder Rose, another original tall tale by Nolen. Born on a stormy night, tiny but confident Rose astonishes her parents by rolling lightning into a ball, lifting a cow over her head, building a thunderbolt from scrap iron, halting a stampede, and inventing barbed wire. When tornadoes threaten the family ranch, Rose displays her gentler side, transforming the twisters into rain clouds by singing a lullaby. Rose “shows a reflective bent that gives her more dimension than most tall-tale heroes,” stated a critic in Kirkus Reviews. Although a contributor in Publishers Weekly wrote that Nolen’s “packed plot slows the rhythms of her fun writing style,” Booklist reviewer GraceAnne A. DeCandido called Thunder Rose “exuberant” and a “terrific read-aloud.” In the words of School Library Journal critic Andrea Tarr, Thunder Rose is “a wonderful tale of joy and love, as robust and vivid as the wide West.”
Loosely based on the story “Jack and the Beanstalk” and brought to life in award-winning illustrations by Kadir Nelson, Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life concerns a brave but diminutive boy who is born into a family of giants. The J. Carver Worthington Andersons pride themselves on their heritage, because every member of their family has been a giant. However, that tradition ends when Hewitt comes along. In fact, Hewitt’s tiny stature actually worries his loving parents; the small child often falls between the floorboards or gets lost in his enormous bed sheets. Hewitt’s size has its advantages, though: he comes to the rescue when his father grows fearful after climbing a tall beanstalk, and he also assists his parents after they become trapped in a locked house. Reviewing Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, a Kirkus Reviews contributor concluded that “Nolen writes, as always, with a distinctive mix of humor and formality.”
In Nolen’s Irene’s Wish, Irene is sad that her father is so busy working as a farmer that he does not have enough time to spend with her. Irene makes a wish, and the seeds she puts in her father’s tea grants her that wish. It does not turn out as she expected, but it does give them more time together. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews insisted that “with this book, Nolen and Ford broaden the African American picture-book palette in ways that are both delightful and memorable.”
In Backyard Camp-Out, four friends from the same Bradford Street neighborhood have a special campout together. Twins Jada and Jamal find an old tent in their garage and invite their friends, Josh and Carlita, to join them for the campout. When they hear that their neighbor Mrs. Mason has lost her cat, they set out to help her find it. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews insisted that “this friendly, multicultural neighborhood is where many children live … or wish they lived.” Nolen followed Backyard Camp-Out with Block Party Surprise. Jada and Jamal are intrigued to learn that their father has a surprise in store for them. He has four robotic dinosaurs sitting outside their window. They learn how to use the remote controls and are excited to bring them to a block party. When the truck carrying the robots breaks down, though, they have to improvise. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews claimed that this book “is tailor-made for children who are ready for books they can read independently with confidence.”
Nolen published Calico Girl in 2017. Twelve-year-old Callie Wilcomb is a slave girl in the year 1861. But as the American Civil War ensues, she gets her first taste of freedom when she is liberated and finds shelter at Virginia’s Fort Monroe after the Union forces turn it into a refuge for former slaves. There she goes to school for the first time in her life. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews stated: “At once heartbreaking and uplifting, a gentle, lyrical story of a determined black girl’s journey toward freedom during the Civil War.”
In 2019 Nolen published another Civil War book, Freedom Bird. John and Millicent are upset after both of their parents are sold during the Civil War. Their parting gift to their children, though, is to instill in them the notion of freedom. The kids link this association to the freedom enjoyed by birds and the song of the soul. A Publishers Weekly contributor opined that “vibrant writing and magical realism lift this story to one of triumph.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews observed that “Ransome’s paintings create memorable scenes that evoke the indomitable human spirit to which the book is a tribute.” The same reviewer concluded by calling the story “powerful storytelling and immersive art.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 1994, Mary Harris Veeder, review of Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, p. 1541; April, 1998, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Raising Dragons, p. 1334; February 15, 1999, Hazel Rochman, review of In My Momma’s Kitchen, p. 1077; April 1, 2000, Hazel Rochman, review of Big Jabe, p. 1478. June 1, 2002, review of Max and Jax in Second Grade, Kathy Broderick, p. 1724; October 15, 2002, Lauren Peterson, review of Plantzilla, p. 413; November 1, 2003, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of Thunder Rose, p. 505; April 15, 2006, Randall Enos, review of Plantzilla Goes to Camp, p. 54; October 15, 2007, Hazel Rochman, review of Pitching in for Eubie, p. 53; December 1, 2010, Hazel Rochman, review of Christmas in the Time of Billy Lee, p. 64; April 15, 2022, Tiffany Flowers, review of Layla, the Last Black Unicorn, p. 58; August 1, 2022, Angela Leeper, review of On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison, p. 46.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, June 1, 1998, review of Raising Dragons, p. 370; June 1, 1999, review of In My Momma’s Kitchen, p. 360; September 1, 2000, review of Big Jabe, p. 32; November 1, 2002, review of Plantzilla, p. 120; January 1, 2004, Janice Del Negro, review of Thunder Rose, p. 200; February 1, 2005, Timnah Card, review of Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, p. 260; January 1, 2008, Karen Coats, review of Pitching in for Eubie, p. 222; April, 2011, Elizabeth Bush, review of Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary, p. 386.
Christian Science Monitor, May 28, 1998, Karen Carden, review of Raising Dragons, p. B7.
Horn Book, July 1, 1994, Ann A. Flowers, review of Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, pp. 442-43; March 1, 1998, Susan P. Bloom, review of Raising Dragons, p. 217; July 1, 2000, review of Big Jabe, p. 440.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 1994, review of Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, p. 401; March 1, 1998, review of Raising Dragons, p. 343; March 1, 2002, review of Max and Jax in Second Grade, p. 342; July 15, 2002, review of Plantzilla, p. 1040; May 1, 2003, review of Lauren McGill’s Pickle Museum, p. 681; September 15, 2003, review of Thunder Rose, p. 1180; December 15, 2004, review of Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, p. 1206; February 1, 2006, review of Plantzilla Goes to Camp, p. 135; October 15, 2007, review of Pitching in for Eubie; December 15, 2010, review of Eliza’s Freedom Road; September 15, 2014, review of Irene’s Wish; July 1, 2015, reviews of Block Party Surprise and Backyard Camp-Out; December 15, 2016, review of Calico Girl; December 1, 2019, review of Freedom Bird; May 15, 2022, review of Layla, the Last Black Unicorn; August 15, 2022, review of On Her Wings.
New York Times, December 1, 1994, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, review of Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, p. B2.
New York Times Book Review, September 11, 1994, review of Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, p. 32.
Publishers Weekly, April 11, 1994, review of Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, p. 65; July 4, 1994, “Flying Starts,” pp. 36-41; March 9, 1998, review of Raising Dragons, p. 67; April 12, 1999, review of In My Momma’s Kitchen, p. 75; April 17, 2000, review of Big Jabe, p. 79; February 11, 2002, review of Max and Jax in Second Grade, p. 187; August 12, 2002, review of Plantzilla, p. 300; April 14, 2003, review of Lauren McGill’s Pickle Museum, p. 70; October 6, 2003, review of Thunder Rose, p. 84; December 22, 2003, review of Big Jabe, p. 64; January 24, 2005, review of Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, p. 243; November 26, 2007, review of Pitching in for Eubie, p. 52; September 23, 2019, review of Freedom Bird, p. 74.
School Library Journal, May 1, 1994, Kathleen Whalin, review of Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, p. 102; April 1, 1998, Faith Brautigan, review of Raising Dragons, p. 106; May 1, 1999, Tom S. Hurlburt, review of In My Momma’s Kitchen, p. 94; June 1, 2000, Ellen A. Greever, review of Big Jabe, p. 122; April 1, 2002, Louie Lahana, review of Max and Jax in Second Grade, p. 118; July 1, 2003, Eve Ortega, review of Lauren McGill’s Pickle Museum, pp. 102-03; September 1, 2003, Andrea Tarr, review of Thunder Rose, p. 186; February 1, 2005, Joyce Adams Burner, review of In My Momma’s Kitchen, p. 58; May 1, 2005, Mary N. Oluonye, review of Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, p. 92; March 1, 2006, Blair Christolon, review of Plantzilla Goes to Camp, p. 200; December 1, 2007, Mary N. Oluonye, review of Pitching in for Eubie, p. 97; February 1, 2011, Riva Pollard, review of Eliza’s Freedom Road, p. 116; May, 2022, Emily Brush, review of Layla, the Last Black Unicorn, p. 62.
ONLINE
Brown Bookshelf, https://thebrownbookshelf.com/ (February 21, 2010), Tameka Fryer Brown, author interview.
Jerdine Nolen website, http://www.jerdinenolen.com (January 25, 2023).
Mirrors Windows Doors, http://mirrorswindowsdoors.org/ (April 23, 2015), author interview.*
Jerdine Nolen is the beloved author of many award-winning books, including Big Jabe; Thunder Rose, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book; and Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, all illustrated by Kadir Nelson. She is also the author of Eliza’s Freedom Road, illustrated by Shadra Strickland, which was an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction Nominee for Young Adults; Raising Dragons, illustrated by Elise Primavera, which received the Christopher Award; and Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm, illustrated by Mark Buehner, which was made into a movie by the same name. Her other books include Calico Girl, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, and Irene’s Wish, illustrated by A.G. Ford, which Kirkus Reviews called “delightful and memorable” in a starred review. Ms. Nolen is an educator and lives in Ellicott City, Maryland.
About the Author
I was born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and raised in Chicago, Illinois, along with five sisters and two brothers. My siblings and I had a lot of fun, and we had a lot of fun together. Growing up in a large family you always have someone to play with. You could always get a good softball game going. Or, Red Rover, which was one of my favorites. We also loved going on exploring expeditions around our home. Even then, I had a wild imagination.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing and collecting words. My Mother encouraged me to do that. She was eager to hear my new list of “favorite words.” Cucumber was a word I preferred above the rest. Then, one day, I became smitten with the word chutney. “Chutney, chutney, chutney.” I would chant that one over and over again. I even made up a little chutney dance to go along with the chant.
Writing is fun work. I love it. It takes patience to get the right story. Once you have the story idea, it is important to revisit and revise the work to make it the best that it could be. It is like sculpting or wiring the pieces together in a way so the words on the page have enough life—they could stand up and walk around all on their own. That is why my motto is, Hold fast to your dreams as you would your balloons!
In looking over the landscape that is my work so far, I think my stories are about possibilities—possible and impossible possibilities. Possibilities are sometimes born out of great needs.
Stories help us examine and shape the world we live in. Stories give us hopeful answers and insights to questions no one person can answer on their own—stories help us share our lives. This is what I love about being a writer.
I received a B.A. in special education from Northeastern Illinois University and an M.Ed. in interdisciplinary arts education from Loyola University in Chicago. I have been an educator for a number of years as a classroom teacher, curriculum writer, staff developer, family involvement specialist, and administrator. I also enjoy lecturing on a variety of topics related to books and the writing process.
I love living in Maryland. It was actually not part of my plan to live here for so long, but I fell in love with this beautiful state that is also rich in the history of our country. There is always something new to discover.
QUOTED: "It offers a mild lesson of resilience but a rarely seen cast of diverse fantasy woodland characters."
HADDISH, Tiffany & Jerdine Nolen. Layla, the Last Black Unicorn. illus. by Jessica Gibson. 32p. HarperCollins. May 2022. Tr $ 18.99. ISBN 9780063113879.
PreS-Gr 2--Layla, a spirited black unicorn from the Overlook Woods, is nervous about starting school. Trevin, a black troll and Layla's cheerful caregiver since she was a foal, assures Layla that she's ready. On her first day at Unicornia, Layla is mocked by the perfectly groomed, brightly colored unicorns for her "woodsy" ways. Defeated, Layla refuses to return to school, but Trevin rallies her spirits and inspires her resilience. When a class trip to her familiar woods turns disastrous, can Layla take the reins and swiftly employ her woodland knowledge to lead her class back to safety? Haddish's picture book is loosely adapted from her autobiographical essay collection, The Last Black Unicom. It is unique in its depiction of a black unicorn, diverting from the conventional white or pastel colored unicorns, and offers a rare portrayal of dark-skinned trolls, fairies, and goblins. Gibson's digital cartoon illustrations are warm, vibrant, and sure to attract young readers who enjoy the unicorn stories in Rhiannon Fielding's 'Ten Minutes to Bed" series. Unfortunately, Haddish's unicorn tale suffers from a mshed and underdeveloped resolution. The text briefly describes Melvin Minotaur as Layla's friend at the beginning of the story, but he does not appear in plot or illustration until his contribution to the story's conclusion. The outcome just isn't convincing. VERDICT Despite its flaws, for representation alone, this book needs to be in every collection. It offers a mild lesson of resilience but a rarely seen cast of diverse fantasy woodland characters. --Emily Brush
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Brush, Emily. "HADDISH, Tiffany & Jerdine Nolen. Layla, the Last Black Unicorn." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 5, May 2022, p. 62. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A702476038/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f277e6b4. Accessed 18 Dec. 2022.
QUOTED: "The details of her world make this a fresh take, a fun way to explore aspects of identity and culture."
Haddish, Tiffany LAYLA, THE LAST BLACK UNICORN Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $18.99 5, 10 ISBN: 978-0-06-311387-9
In Haddish's picture-book debut, co-written by Nolen, a unicorn has a rough start trying to fit in at school.
Layla is a curious, free-spirited black unicorn with a coily mane and tail who loves spending summertime exploring Overlook Woods. When it is time for Layla to start going to school, though, she worries that she isn't ready. Her guardian, Trevin Troll, assures her, "She ready." At Unicornia, Layla's attempt to join the other unicorns' game is unsuccessful, and they call her "woodsy." Layla tries dressing up with hair clips and sparkles, but this only makes things worse. Finally, when the class takes a field trip into the woods and the teacher has a mishap, Layla's know-how and friendships with other forest dwellers get her frightened classmates back to school safely. Her friend Melvin Minoatur assures them that there's no need to be afraid of the dark; when he met Layla, he learned "when something's black, it's really just where all the colors meet." Readers will feel for Layla. While her problem fitting in at school is far from original, the details of her world make this a fresh take, a fun way to explore aspects of identity and culture (Layla feels like a stand-in for the Black actress/comedian, who often calls herself "the Last Black Unicorn") or just to enjoy at surface level. The colorful, cartoon-style illustrations show refreshing diversity in the world of fantastical beings, and the striking black unicorn will do wonders for cultural perceptions of beauty. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A winner on many levels. (Picture book. 3-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Haddish, Tiffany: LAYLA, THE LAST BLACK UNICORN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A703414079/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ef1cbfda. Accessed 18 Dec. 2022.
QUOTED: "This is a great read for children who need reassurance about going to school and making friends."
Layla, the Last Black Unicorn. By Tiffany Haddish and Jerdine Nolen. Illus. by Jessica Gibson. May 2022. 32p. Harper, $18.99 (9780063113879). K-Gr. 2.
Layla is a stylish, friendly black unicorn who lives in the forest with Trevin Troll. The time has come for her to go to unicorn school, and she desperately wants to fit in. Unfortunately, a few small mishaps (popping the ball during a game of horn ball, sitting in gum, wearing flowers in her mane) result in her classmates calling her "woodsy" (a demeaning term). After some kind reassurances from Trevin ("I promise, your time to shine will come"), Layla fortifies herself for another day at school. That day, on a class excursion to the woods, Laylas teacher becomes tangled in a magical bush, and Layla is the only one who knows how to free her, taking her from woodsy to hero in the unicorns' eyes. This candy-colored offering nestles an empowering message amid plenty of whimsy, including appearances by sprites, a goblin, and a Minotaur (all friendly!). This is a great read for children who need reassurance about going to school and making friends as well as for those who feel they don't fit in.--Tiffany Flowers
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Flowers, Tiffany. "Layla, the Last Black Unicorn." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 16, 15 Apr. 2022, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A702054532/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cddf0863. Accessed 18 Dec. 2022.
QUOTED: "While some scenes charm with realism and others delight with magical elements, all ... inspire awe."
On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison. By Jerdine Nolen. Illus. by James E. Ransome. Sept. 2022.48p. Simon 8c Schuster/Paula Wiseman, $18.99 (9781534478527). Gr. 2-4.813.54.
Nolen frames this inspirational picture book biography of Toni Morrison around names and stories. Text in a regular font describes how the author was born Chloe Wofford and became Chloe Anthony Wofford when she converted to Catholicism, then Toni when her Howard University friends couldn't pronounce her name, and finally, Toni Morrison when her editor placed it on her first novel. A larger, handwriting-like font stretches across the pages and tells another narrative in a conversational voice. Segments such as, "She was just a-listening, waiting, watching," echo descriptions of Morrison's writing path, the struggles of Black life that filled her stories, and her success as a Nobel Prize winner. Ransome's watercolor-and-collage illustrations reflect Morrisons personal accomplishments and the spirit of her novels. While some scenes charm with realism and others delight with magical elements, all, including a gorgeous gatefold with a chronological look at Morrisons literary characters, inspire awe with their intricate detail. Although the biography doesn't mention its subject's death and lacks a time line, it includes other back matter (an author's note, quotes, select achievements, etc.) for more advanced readers.--Angela Leeper
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Leeper, Angela. "On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 22, 1 Aug. 2022, pp. 46+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A714679500/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5953b34a. Accessed 18 Dec. 2022.
QUOTED: "an uplifting glimpse into the life of one of America's most distinguished writers."
Nolen, Jerdine ON HER WINGS Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $18.99 9, 27 ISBN: 978-1-5344-7852-7
Childhood experiences and stories work together to influence one of America's most important writers.
Born in 1931, Toni Morrison began life as Chloe Ardelia Wofford. Growing up in Lorain, Ohio, a poor, segregated town, she enjoyed listening to stories told by her parents and grandparents. She became an excellent reader who loved the music and rhythm of words and language. At 12, she converted to Catholicism, choosing Anthony as her baptismal name. A top student, she attended Howard University, where she asked her friends, who had trouble with her name, to call her Toni. When she married Harold Morrison, an architect, she became Toni Morrison. Work as an editor stirred her desire to tell stories, especially those centering the African American experience. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, launched her writing career, and over the years, she was recognized with many awards, including the Nobel Prize in literature. Her work always reflected the stories and language of her first storytellers. This introduction to Morrison's life and influences demonstrates how much she was shaped by the experiences of her childhood. As an author of both adult titles and books for younger readers, her path will be of interest to readers of picture-book biographies. Nolen uses evocative language, while Ransome's watercolor-and-collage illustrations complement and enhance the text with fluidity and a warm palette. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An uplifting glimpse into the life of one of America's most distinguished writers. (author's note, list of books by Morrison, important quotes, resources, list of achievements) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Nolen, Jerdine: ON HER WINGS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713722536/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a020858b. Accessed 18 Dec. 2022.