Milo is excited about her class trip to the museum. The docent leads them on a tour and afterward Milo has time to look around on her own. But something doesn’t feel right, and Milo gradually realizes that the people from her community are missing from the museum. When her aunt urges her to find a solution, Milo takes matters into her own hands and opens her own museum!
I’m a Black feminist writer of poetry, plays, essays, novels, and stories for children. I was born and raised in Canada, but have lived in the US for 30 years. I earned my PhD in American Studies from NYU in 2003; I have taught at Ohio University, Louisiana State University, Mount Holyoke College, Hunter College, Bard High School Early College, and Borough of Manhattan Community College.
My poetry has been published in New Daughters of Africa, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, the Cave Canem anthology, The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South, Check the Rhyme: an Anthology of Female Poets and Emcees, and Coloring Book: an Eclectic Anthology of Fiction and Poetry by Multicultural Writers.
My novella, Plastique, was excerpted in T Dot Griots: an Anthology of Toronto’s Black Storytellers, and my plays have been staged in New York, Cleveland, and Chicago. My essays have appeared in School Library Journal, Horn Book, and Publishers Weekly. My short story, “The Ghost in Her Bones,” was published in a 2020 special issue of Obsidian.
My picture book, Bird, won the Honor Award in Lee & Low Books’ New Voices Contest and the Paterson Prize for Books for Young Readers. My young adult novel, A Wish After Midnight, has been called “a revelation…vivid, violent and impressive history.” Ship of Souls was published in February 2012; it was named a Booklist Top Ten Sci-fi/Fantasy Title for Youth and was a finalist for the Phillis Wheatley Book Award. My short story, “Sweet Sixteen,” was published in Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance in July 2012. My YA novel, The Door at the Crossroads, was a finalist in the Speculative Fiction category of the 2017 Cybils Awards, and my picture book, Melena’s Jubilee, won a 2017 Skipping Stones Honor Award. I received the Children’s Literature Association’s Article Award for my 2014 essay, “The Trouble with Magic: Conjuring the Past in New York City Parks.”
I am an advocate for greater diversity and equity in publishing, and I have self-published numerous illustrated books for younger readers under my own imprint, Rosetta Press; 3 were named Best of the Year by the Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature, and Benny Doesn’t Like to Be Hugged is a first-grade fiction selection for the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Dragons in a Bag, a middle grade fantasy novel, was published by Random House in 2018; the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) named it a Notable Children’s Book. Its sequel, The Dragon Thief, was named a Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 by CBC Books. The fifth book in the series, The War of the Witches, will be published in January 2024. The prequel will be self-published in 2024.
Say Her Name, a young adult poetry collection, was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in January 2020; it was named a 2020 Book of the Year for Young People by Quill & Quire and a 2020 “Best of the Best” YA Title by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association; it was also a nominee for the YALSA 2021 Excellence in Nonfiction Award and a Top Ten title for Rise: A Feminist Book Project. Say Her Name won the 2021 Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry.
A Place Inside of Me: a Poem to Heal the Heart from FSG was named an ALA Notable Book and a Notable Poetry Book by the National Council of Teachers of English; it won a 2021 Skipping Stones Honor Award and Noa Denmon won the Caldecott Honor Award for her stunning illustrations. Moonwalking (FSG 2022), a middle grade verse novel co-authored with Lyn Miller-Lachmann earned four starred reviews and was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; it made the NYPL and Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books of 2022 lists, was one of Kirkus Reviews’ 100 Best Middle Grade Books, and made the 2023 Notable Books for a Global Society list. The National Education Association has selected Moonwalking for its 2024 Read Across America program.
A young African American girl visits a museum with her class, but is disappointed not to see herself and her community represented there. After a talk with her aunt who encourages her, she decides to create her own museum. This book is self published and, unfortunately, it shows. It could have used more editing. While I think this is a nice concept for a story, I think the execution could be better. I did not find Milo to be realistic. I don't believe a little girl would say something like, "That way our museum will be a mirror for the whole community," no matter how smart or precocious she may be. That is clearly the language of a more sophisticated adult. I think the author could have done a better job making Milo more like an actual child while still getting her message across. I just don't see kids connecting well with her as written. So, I liked the idea of the story but I think it could use some work. On a positive note, the book has lovely illustrations that compliment the story well.
Great book, more suited to older storytimers; lots of words/paragraphs but affecting story of lack of Black and multiracial representation in museums/historic narratives. Zetta Elliot makes wonderful, wonderful books with strong protagonists that normalize themes of cultural diversity, social justice, and overall centers People of Color perspectives/lived experiences. <3
I love Zetta Elliott’s 2016 picture book Milo’s Museum. This book is clever, original, relatable, politically relevant, and sweet; in other words, everything I could want in a children’s book and a few things I need.
Purple Wong’s detailed and deeply meaningful illustrations complement Elliott’s story brilliantly. Wong adds multiple layers of significance by helping the reader see what the title character, Milo, experiences.
The story begins with a class trip to an art museum. Wong illustrates a diverse cast of characters waiting to get into the museum: a little boy with a hearing aid holds the hand of a woman wearing a hijab, racially and ethnically diverse students and adults talk among themselves, and Milo, a brown-skinned girl, holds her grandfather’s hand. He is chaperoning the trip because her parents are at work, which subtly introduces the importance of extended family.
After the formal tour of the museum ends, the children are allowed to explore the museum on their own. Milo and her grandfather are depicted standing together. He looks at a painting reminiscent of van Gogh, she looks into a mirror with a concerned expression on her face. The text reads: “She stopped in front of a giant mirror and looked at her reflection. Milo could see her classmates admiring the works of art. She liked most of the art, too, but something didn’t feel right.”
Milo asks her grandfather what museums are for and he thoughtfully responds: “‘… museums hold all the objects that people feel are valuable and important…’.” In the corresponding image, Milo’s grandfather kneels to be at eye level with his granddaughter, visually representing his support and respect for her inquiry. Their conversation takes place in front of a roped-off painting of a finely dressed white woman and a young black boy. Wong helps the reader understand Milo’s apprehension by revealing what Milo sees and what she doesn’t. The text and images, taken together, encourage critical reflection on relationships between white- and brown-skinned people, younger and older people, what we value, and who that we represents.
At home, Marlo sits on her front steps watching neighbors walk by, white and brown children play together, a woman with a walking stick carries a grocery bag, and a car playing rap drives by as Milo bobs her head to the beat. The text reads: “So many faces, sounds, and stories made up her world – but none of it was in the museum.”
In the next image Milo’s aunt, Vashti, wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, joins her on the stoop and asks why she looks sad. Milo responds: “‘We aren’t in the museum’.” Her aunt explains that curators choose what goes into museums.
Milo wants to know why “WE” don’t get a say. The use of “we” instead of “I” demonstrates that Milo sees the exclusion as affecting more than just her. This is about her community being excluded from representation. She’s thinking in terms of group membership and belonging beyond her individual identity.
Vashti supports her niece but does not stoop to the indignity of protecting her from painful realities (a.k.a. the social world). She gives Milo suggestions to empower her to act: Milo can write to the curator or create her own museum. Milo chooses the latter.
The next day Milo puts together her own carefully curated collection of valuable artifacts, including baby booties handmade by her great great-grandmother, a medal her great great-grandpa Jack earned in WWI, a picture taken at a community block party, and a statue of Egyptian goddess Isis. Her museum values family and community.
Neighbors, including two of her classmates, have gathered as Milo walked her family members through her museum. Her classmates are excited to have a museum in their neighborhood and want to participate. The wise Milo asks them to contribute something to the museum so it can represent the whole community.
One of my favorite aspects of the text is that adults do not attempt to shield Milo from the world, they empower her to change it, and she does.
I love that Milo is such a smart, generous, race-conscious, community-oriented girl who recognizes that it is not acceptable to have a museum full of art that fails to celebrate human diversity as a social value. The fact that this realization comes from a child encourages children to turn a critical eye to the world and question dominant values.
This book makes many significant social issues accessible to young children: race, ability, religious diversity, issues of power and cultural production, self-advocacy, and youth activism. If you are interested in books that prompt thought and action, this is a must read. I would recommend it for a 5+ age group because the themes are too challenging for a younger audience to effectively grasp. However, I read it to my three-year-old and he loves the idea of making a museum of things important to you. Like all great children’s books it can be read and re-read and the meanings made of the material will get thicker with time.
A young girl, Milo, is excited to visit the museum on her school trip. Her grandfather comes along as chaperone and enjoys showing Milo the art. Her grandfather explains, “Museums hold all the things that people feel are valuable or important.” Milo has fun but notes that none of the art reflects her or her community. It doesn't feel right to her. After returning home, Milo confers with Aunt Vashti who encourages Milo to create her own museum with objects that are important to her and her family.
Backmatter includes prompts for children to create their own museum and an afterward explains why and how this book was written and how difficult it was to get published.
This book really makes the reader think. While Milo lives in Brooklyn in a diverse community, any kid can relate. After all, other than children's museums and science museums, what museums collect objects that appeal primarily to children? Or families? Milo's museum showcases her family's rich history from baby booties to a medal won by an ancestor in WWI. It's the illustrations that make this book specifically about Black communities. They're very much aware of their history and the erasure of their identities from mainstream culture. I like how this story works on different levels depending on the reader.
Star rating: 5 Copyright: Genre: Concept Book Theme(s): Representation; Youth Activism; Social Justice; Museums; Family Capital
This story is about a little girl who visits a museum that does not highlight any of her own culture. She learns that she can become active and either write the museum to ask them to include African American culture, or create her own museum. The idea that museums display “all the things people feel are valuable or important” serves as a great jumping point for a strong class discussion about who’s items are reflected as valuable and important. Definitely a great read aloud! I can also see reading it as an advanced organizer for an “All About Me Museum” project.
Milo goes to a museum on a field trip (and her Poppa/grandfather comes as a chaperone). Milo likes the art, but she is troubled because none of the art shows people that look like her. When she tells her aunt how she feels, her aunt encourages her to create her own museum.
I love the warm family relationships, the problem solving, the reminder that all people deserve to be represented in books, art, music, etc. It even includes a guide to create your own museum and a story of the author's experience that this book is based on.
Looking for a book to illustrate subtle systemic race issues, and this book is a perfect fit for young children topically. I wanted to 100% love it, but the writing doesn't lend itself to an easy read or read aloud for children. It's on the long side, and wordy in it's conversations. I also wanted a bigger statement from the museum that Milo created, though it is sweet that she filled it with things from her life. All around, it's a great book, and a must add to a library collection.
This book would be great to read with young kids! There’s so much to discuss about the importance of representation, biases of curators, love of family memories, the value of building community, and more - all through the ideas and energy of a young black girl. I love that the author note includes an origin story inspired by the Colored Girls Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Excellent, though advanced, writing for a picture book. This is a great read aloud book. Important subject matter as we teach children to critically think about museum curation. The illustrations by Purple Wong are vivid, detailed and fantastic. At the end of the book, there is a guide for the child to make their own museum. I also appreciated the afterword and the story of publishing the book by the author.
A little girl goes with her class and grandpa to a museum. She realizes that no one looks like her in the paintings. She is quiet at home and when her aunt asks her why her aunt explains that there are curators who decide what is important. So the girl decides to open a museum of what is important to her.
Absolutely love that Milo invents a solution for the frustration of not being represented in the museum. And I love that she calls out the museum for not representing her. The part about her museum wasn't as inspiring as I wanted it to be, but it was ok.
What's a girl to do when she realizes nothing on display at the museum reflects her life or her family's history? Make her own, of course. Got this richly illustrated children's title in a DOE goodie bag and only cried a little bit.
I love how representation is tackled in this picture book. After a school field trip to a museum and not seeing anything that represents her or her community, Milo is inspired to create her own to remedy the problem.
It’s just a Zetta Elliott kind of week around here. Whatever she publishes, I buy it as soon as it’s available (or as soon as I find out about it) and you should too. Milo’s Museum is a book I wish I had had as a kid, because after seeing Milo create her own museum, I would have done the exact same thing. Milo does it for reasons that would not have been my own, but just the idea of curating your own collection was (and still kind of is!) incredibly enticing.
This book was interesting in light of reading the Tonya Bolden book about the building of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Milo doesn’t see herself in the local museum she visits on a field trip so she decides to create her own. That brought to mind part of the impetus behind the NMAA. As Milo walks around the museum she becomes increasingly uncomfortable. She isn’t quite sure why, but eventually realizes that she isn’t seeing herself or her community reflected in any of the art or artists.
I would highly recommend this for school libraries and classrooms. Be sure to read it before and/or after visiting a museum on a class field trip. I think it will certainly inspire kids of all ages to curate and create their own museums that reflect them and their communities. And I would encourage you to help your students do just that. Milo takes different people through her museum so you can see what she has chosen. She also gives explanations for why she has chosen objects. This provides a good model for helping students choose what they want in their own museum. I also think with older students you could open up a discussion about who decides what will go into a museum and how that unfairly tends to keeps certain artists and people out of them.
An all around inspiring and important book. As with Melena’s Jubilee, if you have the money this is a must to have on your shelves.
Milo was excited because her class was visiting a museum today and her grandfather would be going with her. She learned that a museum guide was called a docent. Milo saw art and learned that museums hold objects that are important and valuable from history. When her aunt Vashti stopped by Milo asked why the people don’t have a say in what goes into the museum. Aunt Vashti explained that the curator decides. But visitors that go to a favorite exhibit, in a way, cast a vote. She also explained that Milo could write a letter to the curator. After some thought and the creation of a list, Milo decided to set up her own museum. What items do you think she placed in her playhouse which would be her new museum?
Author Zetta Elliott was inspired to write this charming story of family and history after the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African History and Culture in Washington D.C. Colorful illustrations bring to life the character’s world. Parents and teachers can use this guide and the activity found in the back of the book to help readers discover their family history and create their own museum. Readers can also learn more about Zetta on the back pages.