Sky Sash So Blue

by Libby Hathorn, Benny Andrews (Illustrator)

The story of young Susannah's participation in the making of a rag-and-patch wedding dress for her older sister, who is marrying a free black man, is complemented by painted fabric collage art.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Poetry, African American

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Libby Hathorn is an Australian writer who produces poetry, picture books, drama, novels, short stories, and nonfiction for children, young adults, and adults. Best known in the United States for her critically acclaimed novel Thunderwith, Hathorn has created works ranging from serious stories of troubled youth to lighthearted, fast-paced comedies. She writes of powerful female characters in her novels for junior readers, such as the protagonists in All about Anna and The Extraordinary Magics of Emma McDade; or of lonely, misunderstood teenagers in novels such as Feral Kid, Love Me Tender, and Valley under the Rock. As Maurice Saxby noted in St. James Guide to Children's Writers, "In her novels for teenagers especially, Hathorn exposes, with compassion, sensitivity, and poetry the universal and ongoing struggle of humanity to heal hurts, establish meaningful relationships, and to learn to accept one's self—and ultimately—those who have wronged us."

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can read this book without weeping, well..., you can't. But don't be put off - it's a story of hope and of family love. A slave family is gathering material for a wedding dress for the older sister whose beau is a freed slave. How the mother overcomes every problem that comes along - from the making of the dress, the finding a preacher for the ceremony (this is the part where I started to tear up because I could just feel that mother stepping up "She decides she'll be the one to pray them, sing and bless...", and then the harsh taking apart of the dress - where Susannah, the youngest, witnesses her mother's weeping, and finds her own way to triumph - by making the rags of the dress represent the triumph of the wedding day even as they dust and shine the slave owner's house.
It's a wordy book and the rhyming might put a person off the first time they glance at it, but this is a book of rewards - from the perfect fit of the fabric collages to the uplifting end, it's a worthy journey.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing illustration style (and I do like books who either feature the illustrator and their other work, or at least state how the illustrations were done- here it's fabric and painting collages. The inside cover says the book is for ages 5 and up. I know that I couldn't have read this to my son at 5, well not and kept his attention. And I think that it's probably more suited to 8 and up, at least they'd take something of the story away. Not that 8 year old necessarily need to read stories about slaves. Susannah is a young slave girl whose only real possession is a blue sash, the colour of the sky, that her mother pieced together for her. Her sister Sissy, is getting married, and her mother again creates something out of nothing, Sissy's wedding dress crafted out of rags. A poignant story

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story and artwork, only the writing or the language held me back from 5 stars.

[Tomi Alger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A blue sash, a wedding dress put together from material the slaves can round up, hope for a future of freedom are all in this book. An interesting book with interesting drawings.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely, hopeful book. I agree with a previous reviewer that ages 8 and up is probably more appropriate than 5, and would require less stopping and explaining. Fantastic illustrations--very unique!

[Kuwana]

American history that is themed around an important negro (language of that time period) event within a family unit. *reuse of fabric; family bonds; slavery and freedom*

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sad book. But soo lovely

[Nativida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations by Benny Andrews.