Jump at the Sun

The life of Zora Neale Hurston, the extraordinary novelist and first female African-American anthropologist, was bigger than words. But this picture book catches the uncatchable. The words are gorgeous. And the illustrations further illuminate the portrait, including delightful hats on the endpapers (a hat-tip to Ms. Hurston’s “HATitude”).

The gorgeous prose of this book uses dialect that echoes how Hurston used it in her stories. In spite of tremendous obstacles: a racist country, people who discouraged her, and personal tragedy, Hurston was as truly unstoppable as the title conveys. Her courage, persistence, and strength fueled a rich life as a writer, anthropologist, and folklorist. Her invaluable contribution, especially the preservation of African American folktales, enriched the literary world.

This picture book biography has energy and voice that will captivate the child reader. Speech balloons contain little tidbits of the stories that Zora Neale Hurston collected, inspiring curiosity and a hunger for more. Yellow, sundrenched pages alternate with blue, and Zora’s stylish hats decorate the end pages. The creativity of the Harlem Renaissance jumps from the pages. This picture book makes me want to jump for joy.