Teaching is typically considered the most underappreciated (and underpaid considering the amount of work they do) profession around. I would readily agree with this- any human being who has the ability to teach a classroom full of twenty 5-year-olds how to read deserves a physician’s salary and an annual all-expenses-paid vacation. But what about the historian? Those who give their time to researching and then retelling the actions of the past so that (hopefully) we learn from the mistakes, and be inspired by the triumphs, of those who came before us. What about them? Let’s get even more specific, how about a historian with the ability to take history and morph it into a picture book for children? Someone who has the skill to take an extremely emotionally difficult topic and package it into a narrative, complimented with light-hearted illustrations, all while remaining devoted to the accurate portrayal and retelling of the content. Enter…Don Tate.
Don Tate is a profound author-illustrator of numerous works. He has authored The Remarkable Story of Geoge Moses Horton: Poet (2015), William Still and His Freedom Stories (2020), Strong as Sandow: How Eugen Sandow Became the Strongest Man on Earth (2017) (and others). He is the illustrator of Summer Sun Risin‘ by W. Nikola-Lisa (2002), Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson (2018), the hilarious Sure as Sunrise: Stories of Bruh Rabbit and His Walkin Talkin Friends (2004), and the inspiring No Small Potatoes: Junius Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas by Tonya Bolden (2018) and much more. I had actually become so intune to his artwork that I was almost completely taken aback to find out that he authored It Jes Happened When Bill Taylor Started to Draw (2012) which was skillfully illustrated by R. Gregory Christie.
Don Tate is as much a historian as he is a children’s book author, possessing the ability to put history in narrative form and maintain the interest of even a very small child. His whimsical, light-hearted artwork helps neutralized the emotions that are easily roused by the difficult topics he often writes about and/or provides illustrations for. Reading about Junius Groves, Wlliam Still, Carter G. Woodson or even the Harlem Globetrotters’ tenacious efforts in fighting against racism, is much easier with Tate’s artwork accommodating the text. He is talented, passionate, and knowledgeable…what good author-illusrators are made of.
“He is talented, passionate, and knowledgeable… what good author-illustrators are made of”
Though he primarily focuses on African American history he did go outside his comfort zone (by his own admission) in 2017 when he wrote Strong as Sandow: How Eugen Sandow Became the Strongest Man on Earth. I enjoyed his honest wrestling when deciding on whether to write about this extraordinary man. It can be so easy to stay within our boxes, but when a passion for telling an excellent story begins to burn, then the box must go. I’d even be so bold as to say, often times, this is when the creative spirit thrives. Don Tate did just that when he wrote this story, and thanks to him, my 5-year-old continues to show me her “strong muscles” each day.
Uniquely gifted, excellent story-teller-historian, talented artist…
Don Tate is worthy of your shelf space.
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Informative, Inspiring, you’ll want to flex your muscles afterwards”
Strong As Sandow: How Eugen Sandow Became the Strongest Man on Earth
Author and Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Charlesbridge Publishing 2017 ISBN-13 : 9781580896283
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
Little Friedrich Müller was a puny weakling who longed to be athletic and strong like the ancient Roman gladiators. He exercised and exercised. But to no avail. As a young man, he found himself under the tutelage of a professional body builder. Friedrich worked and worked. He changed his name to Eugen Sandow and he got bigger and stronger. Everyone wanted to become “as strong as Sandow.”
Inspired by his own experiences body-building, Don Tate tells the story of how Eugen Sandow changed the way people think about strength and exercise and made it a part of everyday life.Backmatter includes more information about Sandow, suggestions for exercise, an author’s note, and a bibliography.
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Inspiring, A story of endurance and tenacity”
The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton: Poet
Author and Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Peachtree Publishing 2018 ISBN-13 : 9781682630624
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
George loved words, but he was also enslaved. Forced to work long hours, he was unable to attend school or learn how to read. But he was determined―he listened to the white children’s lessons and learned the alphabet. Then he taught himself to read.
Soon, he began composing poetry in his head and reciting it as he sold fruits and vegetables on a nearby college campus. News of the slave poet traveled quickly among the students, and before long, George had customers for his poems. But George was still enslaved. Would he ever be free?
.
Children Whoo Read Says:
“A good message, encouraging, keep going when things get hard”
Swish: The Slam-Dunking Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters
Author: Suzanne Slade Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Little Brown and Company 2020 ISBN-13 9780316481670
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
In this book you will find one-finger ball-spinning, rapid-fire mini-dribbling, and a ricochet head shot!
You will find skilled athletes, expert players, and electrifying performers — all rolled into one!
You will find nonstop, give-it-all-you’ve-got, out-to-win-it, sky’s-the-limit BASKETBALL!
You will find The Harlem Globetrotters, who played the most groundbreaking, breathtaking ball the world had ever seen. With rhythmic writing and dynamic illustrations, Swish! is a celebration of the greatness, goodness, and grit of this remarkable team
Children Whoo Read Says:
“The story of the invention of the water gun…nuff said”
Whoosh! Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
Author: Chris Barton Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Charlesbridge Publishing 2019 ISBN-10 : 0786808322 ISBN-13 : 9781580892988
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
Celebrate the inventor of the Super Soaker in this inspiring picture book biography about Lonnie Johnson, the maker behind one of the world’s favorite toys.
You know the Super Soaker. It’s one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, impressive inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the iconic toy.A love for rockets, robots, inventions, and a mind for creativity began early in Lonnie Johnson’s life. Growing up in a house full of brothers and sisters, persistence and a passion for problem solving became the cornerstone for a career as an engineer and his work with NASA. But it is his invention of the Super Soaker water gun that has made his most memorable splash with kids and adults
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Cute, southern, love, family, all in one…”
Summer Sun Risin’
Author” W. Nikola-Lisa Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher Lee and Low 2005 ISBN-13 : : 978-1584302520
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
From sunrise to sunset, an African American boy spends an activity-filled summer day helping his family on their farm. Feeding animals, mowing hay, picking vegetables, and eating freshly caught fish fill the hours. Set in Texas in the 1950s, Summer Sun Risin is Parenting Reading Magic Award winner W. Nikola-Lisas tribute to childhood, farm life, and family togetherness. Don Tates sun-drenched paintings depict the familys daily activities and trace the sun as it travels across the sky.
Buy on: Amazon
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Beginnings do not determine outcome… “
Carter Reads the newspaper
Author: Deborah Hopkinson Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Peachtree Publishing 2019 ISBN-13 : 9781561459346
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
“Carter G. Woodson didn’t just read history. He changed it.” As the father of Black History Month, he spent his life introducing others to the history of his people.
Carter G. Woodson was born to two formerly enslaved people ten years after the end of the Civil War. Though his father could not read, he believed in being an informed citizen, so Carter read the newspaper to him every day. As a teenager, Carter went to work in the coal mines, and there he met Oliver Jones, who did something important: he asked Carter not only to read to him and the other miners, but also research and find more information on the subjects that interested them.
“My interest in penetrating the past of my people was deepened,” Carter wrote. His journey would take him many more years, traveling around the world and transforming the way people thought about history.
From an award-winning team of author Deborah Hopkinson and illustrator Don Tate, this first-ever picture book biography of Carter G. Woodson emphasizes the importance of pursuing curiosity and encouraging a hunger for knowledge of stories and histories that have not been told.
Illustrations also feature brief biological sketches of important figures from African and African American history
CWR Says:
“A true testament to the reality that diligence in hard work pays off”
No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas
Author: Tonya Bolden Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers 2018 ISBN-13 9780385752763
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
Sharon Robinson, the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, has crafted
Discover the incredible true story of how one of history’s most successful potato farmers began life as a slave and worked until he was named the Potato King of the World Junius G. Groves came from humble beginnings in the Bluegrass State. Born in Kentucky into slavery, freedom came when he was still a young man and he intended to make a name for himself. Along with thousands of other African Americans who migrated from the South, Junius walked west and stopped in Kansas. Working for a pittance on a small potato farm was no reason to feel sorry for himself, especially when he’s made foreman. But Junius did dream of owning his own farm, so he did the next best thing. He rented the land and worked hard As he built his empire, he also built a family, and he built them both on tons and tons and tons of potatoes. He never quit working hard, even as the naysayers doubted him, and soon he was declared Potato King of the World and had five hundred acres and a castle to call his own.From award winning author Tonya Bolden and talented illustrator Don Tate comes a tale of perseverance that reminds us no matter where you begin, as long as you work hard, your creation can never be called small potatoes.
CWR Says:
“Beautiful biography, well-written, lovely story”
William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad
Author and Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Peachtree Publishing 2020 ISBN-1397815614593531
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
William Still’s parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a young man, William went to work for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, where he raised money, planned rescues, and helped freedom seekers who had traveled north. One day, a strangely familiar man came into William’s office, searching for information about his long-lost family. Could it be?
Motivated by his own family’s experience, William Still began collecting the stories of thousands of other freedom seekers. As a result, he was able to reunite other families and build a remarkable source of information, including encounters with Harriet Tubman, Henry “Box” Brown, and William and Ellen Craft.
Award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate brings to life the incredible, stranger-than-fiction true story of William Still, a man who dedicated his life to recording the stories of enslaved people fleeing to freedom. Tate’s powerful words and artwork are sure to inspire young readers in this first-ever picture book biography of the Father of the Underground Railroad
CWR Says:
“A sad story with a humble ending”
It Jes Happened When Bill Taylor Started to Draw
Author: Don Tate Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie Publisher : Lee and Low 2019 ISBN-13
9781643790558
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
The inspiring biography of self-taught (outsider) artist Bill Traylor, a former slave who at the age of eighty-five began to draw pictures based on his memories and observations of rural and urban life in Alabama.
Growing up as an enslaved boy on an Alabama cotton farm, Bill Traylor worked all day in the hot fields. When slavery ended, Bill’s family stayed on the farm as sharecroppers. There Bill grew to manhood, raised his own family, and cared for the land and his animals.
By 1935 Bill was eighty-one and all alone on his farm. So he packed his bag and moved to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama. Lonely and poor, he wandered the busy downtown streets. But deep within himself Bill had a reservoir of memories of working and living on the land, and soon those memories blossomed into pictures. Bill began to draw people, places, and animals from his earlier life, as well as scenes of the city around him.
Today Bill Traylor is considered to be one of the most important self-taught American folk artists. Winner of Lee & Low’s New Voices Award Honor, It Jes’ Happened is a lively tribute to this man who has enriched the world with more than twelve hundred warm, energetic, and often humorous pictures
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Hilarious, Amazing Illustrations, Learn some AAVE”
Testing the Ice: A True Story of Jackie Robinson
Author: Alice McGill Illustrator: Don Tate Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2004 ISBN-13 978-06182119681
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
Set in the backwoods of North Carolina, a collection of charming tales features the clever Bruh Rabbit and his colorful kin as they go about their daily lives in their simple and rustic world.
Buy on: Amazon
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