Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor

by Vivian Kirkfield, Chris Ewald (Illustrations)

Sarah E. Goode was one of the first African-American women to get a U.S. patent. Working in her furniture store, she recognized a need for a multi-use bed and through hard work, ingenuity, and determination, invented her unique cupboard bed. She built more than a piece of furniture. She built a life far away from slavery, a life where her sweet dreams could come true.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, History, African American, Childrens, Womens Rights

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2019

Reviews

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

47/100 Just arrived today. Read it right out of the box. A great story about living your dreams, working hard, and persevering. It’s the story of Sarah Goode who invented the cabinet bed and it’s by @viviankirkfield

[Christina Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to author Vivian Kirkfield for providing me with a digital review copy to read and enjoy on Multicultural Children's Book Day (1/25/19).

Sarah was a builder. An innovator who dreamed big and put in the work necessary to bring those dreams to life. By planning and saving, she opened her own furniture store. Understanding the needs of her customers who lived in homes with limited room, she created a space-saving cabinet bed that functioned as a desk when closed up. Her invention was pretty incredible and she knew that she better get it patented so her creation would be protected as her own. Nothing that anyone else could claim, reproduce, or sell. The process was a lengthy one, but Sarah persisted until she was granted the patent in 1885. Sarah E. Goode, a Black woman; a 19th-century inventor! Owning property and holding a patent for her own invention!

I am so inspired by Sarah and by all of the other Black women who would follow as U.S. patent holders. I absolutely love learning about hidden figures in history who are now #hiddennomore because of biographical picture books like this one.  I appreciate the research that author Vivian Kirkfield put into this project, unearthing the details of the life and legacy of a phenomenal woman. Her book includes features that are those extra goodies that I love to see in the backmatter of a book like this.  There is an explanation of what a patent is, a timeline of Sarah E. Goode's life, and a timeline of Black women patent holders. This book is recommended for ages 6-11.

I am so thankful for Multicultural Children's Book Day for pairing me with Vivan Kirchfield and introducing me to this book that will definitely add to my K-5 library for our students and teachers to enjoy. I think it is a great place for students to begin their research on inventor Sarah E. Goode.

[Deana Metzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this enjoyable picture book biography as a part of MCBD 2019. This book about Sarah Goode also has beautiful illustrations. You can read my complete review here: https://wp.me/p7OIsL-XW

[Kirsti Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

SWEET DREAMS, SARAH is a compelling and beautifully written tribute to an inspiring woman. Sarah started out as a slave with a dream and ending up becoming the owner of a furniture store, and the inventor of the fold away bed.

Vivian Kirkfield does an incredible job of showing Sarah's persistence, resilience and grit. Sarah was an African American and a woman--two challenges she had to overcome to achieve success in following her dreams.

"But every day Sarah dreamed of a different life.
A husband.
A family.
A job that she loved."

Expressive illustrations enhance the lyrical text. This book will evoke discussion on slavery, women's rights, discrimination, inventions and creativity. Engaging backmatter adds to the charm of this book with additional facts about Sarah's life, an author's note, and information about patents.

A fantastic non-fiction biography read aloud!

[Tina Shepardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely wonderful, compelling, and necessary for children of yesterday, today, and tomorrow to read. Vivian does a beautiful job with her lyrical language to create a mood of passion, persistence, and drive. Sarah E. Goode believed in a better life during a time when the odds were against her in every way. She is a role model for generations past, present and future. An African American woman, former slave, dreaming , pursuing, and achieving a better life for herself. In addition to building a business, she built a family, a life she longed for against all odds. This is such a timely story to share in a time where kids have instant gratification on a regular basis. They need to know large dreams take time, planning, overcoming obstacles and passion.

[Doris Imahiyerobo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does giving up get you? Nothing. What does pushing through get you? At a time when African Americans barely owned their own freedom, Sarah E. Goode was working towards owning a piece of history. As a product developer, it’s extremely hard to get a patent approved by the government in the 21 century, not to talk about during Sarah’s time. But that never stopped her. She dreamed of what she could do. Then she built her invention and was one of the first African American women to receive a U.S. patent. Sweet Dreams, Sarah is an extremely inspiring true story for readers of all ages and should be a must-read for all elementary school kids!.

[Gayle Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book is as necessary in today’s world as it was in yesteryear. Kirkfield’s lyrical prose covers women's rights, racism, and slavery. The lesson learned through this historical biography is persistence!!! Sarah continued to pursue her dreams and not give up, even when she was confronted with adversity and difficulties. What a role model! And Ewald’s illustrations speak so succinctly to Kirkfield’s text. A beautiful collaboration. Goals, girls. Set your goals and follow your dreams…you can do it, just like Sarah!

[Tracy Kulwicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about how one woman went from slavery to a thriving businesswoman. It highlights the challenges and struggles she faced both as a slave and as a black woman trying to help support her family.

My kids both enjoyed reading this book. It helps to teach kids about overcoming adversity and to keep trying during hard times and unfair circumstances. The book also helps kids recognize the value of diversity and the rights of all people.

I received a copy of this book from the author.

[Evelyn Bookless · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Dreams, Sarah is a powerful book. As well as learning about the life of female inventor, Sarah E. Goode, who was born into slavery and had to work hard to build the life she wanted despite many set-backs, readers are exposed to the themes of slavery, racism, women's rights, diversity, persistence, and following your dreams.

This is an important, beautifully written book that deserves a place in every school library.

[Franci · Rating 5 out of 5]

#45 of 2021

So inspiring!

[Dollerk1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great because it can be used for numerous themes. Women's rights, racism, slavery, occupations, and carpentry are just a couple. I really enjoyed the beautiful pictures they really made the book come to life. I also loved how they made Sarah a strong black women who pursued her dreams even with so many difficulties. This good would be great in a k-3 classrooms and I would recommend it for a group read aloud just so the topics can be discussed among the students.

[Elizabeth Steinglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Dreams, Sarah is a wonderful historical biography. Born into slavery, Sarah has big dreams—to be free, to start a family, and to have a store where she sells furniture she has made. Sarah works very hard to make these dreams come true. I especially love that we see Sarah fail, get frustrated, and try again. This would be a great book to share with children as Sarah is an impressive role model.

[Danielle Dufayet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when people get their due credit! Kudos to Sarah - a brave woman with vision and determination. She worked hard and never gave up on her dream, regardless of the obstacles. This book is one I enjoy reading over and over to my grand kids so they can see that you can achieve anything if you just believe. It's also a great reminder that behind every invention is a brilliant mind and tenacious spirit!

[Hannah Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much to love about this book. Sarah is strong in the face of many obstacles, a savvy business woman, a creative builder, and a trailblazer in applying for a patent. The text flows beautifully and makes for a great read aloud. The illustrations are warm and inviting. A great nonfiction biography!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful true story about overcoming hardships and fulfilling dreams. The true story of Sarah E. Goode who built a life far away from slavery, a life where her dreams could come true. Great book!

[Yevgenia Nayberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poetically written story about perseverance. A lovely way to introduce young readers to female inventors. Another winner from Vivian Kirkfield and Creston Books!

[Forked Radish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting though inaccurate and racist. An example of the former: Sarah E. Goode née Jacobs was actually manumitted at the age of five and not as an adolescent as illustrated. An example of the latter is the implication that she and her husband's business may have failed due to "violence from business competitors", no evidence is offered. Additionally, Sarah E. Goode was the fourth African American woman to receive a U.S. patent, not the first as stated.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When sharing with students don't skip the back matter!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short story!

[Nanette Heffernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an inspiring story! Bookstores are full of mini-biographies, but SWEET DREAMS SARAH subtly offers a unique, layer of overcoming adversity, racism, and misogyny without being didactic. Not to mention Chris Ewald’s art is stunning—flawless.

[Zaed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it because she started as a slave and then made an invention, got married and really improved her life.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivian Kirkfield's fascinating book describes one woman's invention of a practical item of furniture. Using the knowledge Sarah Goode learned from her father and the grit and determination of new found freedom from emancipation, Sarah's dream comes true. I love everything about this book, the story itself with strong sculptural illustrations that give further strength to Sarah, and the fascinating back matter. Who knew so many practical objects were invented by women? Well, of course they were! Brava, Sarah! Brava Vivian!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's an impressive endnote at the end of this book that is probably my favorite part of the whole book. It contains a timeline of black women who've received patents for their inventions. I've never seen a list like it before. Nice bonus feature for a book about one female inventor.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Goode's story was well known in parts of Chicago where she lived after the Civil War, but it was news to me and has likely been lost to many over the years. She and her family were enslaved in the south before the war, owned as property like "a cow, or plow, or the cotton that grew in the master's field." Even though enslaved, her father was a skilled furniture maker and Sarah clung to a dream of doing that work when she grew up.
Emancipation let her follow her dreams north to Chicago, where she married a kind and skilled man, had a child. There she worked, saved, and achieved her lifelong dream- her own furniture store.
This alone is inspiring, and the narrative and art are equally inspiring. But it is only the beginning of Sarah's contributions and successes. She invented a new kind of furniture that met a serious need in her community. Her trial-and-error persistence, pursuit of a patent, and documentation to support her claim along the way allowed her to win ultimate victory, despite frustrating setbacks. The lyrical text and luminous scenes are irresistible, bringing to life a vibrant and impressive woman, her community, and her times.
The back matter is equally compelling, including an informative author's note, information about patents, a timeline of Sarah's life, and a timeline of Black Women Patent Holders.
Selected sources for research are included on the final end paper.
SWEET DREAMS, SARAH is a prime example of my irritation about some school practices. In some cases, books that "fit into" theme months, like BLACK HISTORY MONTH, are hauled out on February First and packed away on the 28th. A good book is a good book, and a book about Sarah E. Goode must be available and celebrated all year long. It "fits" in biography studies, in STEM & MAKER themes, in social studies, math, and science, and across many ages and grades.
***
One last note in my litany of irritations about educational practices:
Please, teachers, honor the true purpose of this and any quality picture book. First and foremost, share them for what is their truest purpose-- as quality literature. Read them aloud and honor them as such, in their entirety. AFTER that has happened, Display them, circulate them, return to them often and for multiple purposes, as above and more. Never forget the immeasurable work behind the creation of the text and the art, the editing and book design, the story and research that underlie it all. Here is another example of literature to love, and with which to learn.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor is a children's picture book written by Vivian Kirkfield and illustrated by Chris Ewald. Readers meet a forward-thinking woman whose name ought to be widely known but isn't.

Sarah Elisabeth Goode was an entrepreneur and inventor. She was the first African-American woman to receive a United States patent, which she received in 1885.

Kirkfield's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. The succinctness with which Kirkfield tells this story emphasizes Goode’s drive to succeed despite obstacles. Backmatter includes an author’s note, which provides further historical context and explains what a patent is and a timeline. Ewald’s illustrations, which have a smooth, digital patina, show her strength and resolve to build something that was both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Sarah E. Goode was born a slave, the daughter of a skilled free carpenter who could build anything. Sarah acquired her father's woodcraft skills, and, after emancipation, she moved to Chicago, met and married African-American stair builder Archibald Goode, started a family, and realized her dream of owning her own furniture store.

Working alongside Archibald, she fashioned a piece of furniture that would make efficient use of space for her customers whose big families were crammed into small living quarters. A desk by day, Sarah's cabinet bed unfolded into a bed at night. Her first attempt to secure a patent failed because others had already patented components of her design, but with some legal help and revisions to her application, she received the patent for her cabinet bed in 1885, becoming the first African-American woman to be granted a patent.

All in all, Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor is a wonderful biography, which celebrates the first African-American woman to receive a patent.

[Jane Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful picture book highlights the accomplishments of Sarah Goode. In lyrical language, Kirkfield describes Sarah's childhood as a slave and her dreams for something better: "A husband, A family, A job that she loved." Kirkfield continues to tell how Sarah achieved all three by moving to Chicago after emancipation, marrying Archibald Goode, starting a family, and opening her own furniture store. That might have been enough, but Sarah was skilled with people and with woodworking tools. She found a need--to make room for more beds in small apartments--and set to work. The furniture in her story wouldn't work: "Too boxy! Too bulky! Too big!" But she had an idea that led to Sarah Goode being the first black woman to hold a patent. Kirkfield shows Sarah's failed attempts at creating a cabinet bed (a forerunner of the Murphy bed) and the denial of her first patent application. After those trials, her patent acceptance and sale of her cabinet beds were a sweet dream come true.

The illustrations by Chris Ewald show Sarah in action and emotion, helping readers to feel the depth of her dreams and understand the difficulties of her challenges.

The back matter fills in more of the story with an Author's Note, an explanation of what a patent is, and a timeline of Sarah's life.

This is book is a good one for the older picture book reader because of its empowering facts and emphasis on persistence in pursuing one's dreams. I especially recommend it for schools.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah was once a slave, but now she is emancipated and looks forward to living out her dreams. One of those dreams is to own a furniture shop. After speaking with her customers, she realizes there is a type of furniture people need that doesn't exist. So she invents it: a bed that folds up into a desk. Now Sarah faces the challenge of getting a patent for her design.

This story is deceptively simple - it's only in the historical notes and timeline that the amount of research that went into this story is shown. For the younger readers, the tale of a black woman facing all odds and becoming an entrepreneur and inventor has a positive spin. The artwork becomes more luminous as Sarah's dreams slowly being to come true. As an adult, I wasn't aware that attaining a patent was such a complicated and difficult process, and it's great to introduce this concept at an early age. I loved the inclusion of Sarah's children in the process of building and inventing, inspiring a future generation.

The historical notes give a slightly different ending to the story. However, the timeline of black women patent holders provides that inspiration for young readers.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and an appealing story. There seem to be a scarcity of facts and the illustrations do not always match the information. Sarah is shown picking cotton and described as enslaved but most sources have her born in Toledo, Ohio - a free state that liberated all slaves that crossed its borders and where cotton is not grown. (Toledo is in the far Northwest corner of Ohio.) The book’s timeline notes sources that claim she was born in the South or Ohio but points out ‘if you look at the map, the southern border of Ohio runs along Virginia’s norther one.’ That is not true if you look at a current map. The Ohio border is with West Virginia and while in 1856 West Virginia did not yet exist (1863) that part of the state, which did not secede, did not grow cotton. Regardless Sarah’s patent is inspiring, but I wish the background was clearer or cleaner or better explained. Bummer that she lost her business only two years later and died so young.

[Alayne Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivian Kirkfield and Chris Ewald’s portrayal of Sarah Goode brings this little-know woman and her dreams to life. Kirkfield’s storytelling makes one feel Sarah’s struggles, hopes and dreams, and her triumph. The beauty of this tale is that no matter the struggle, Sarah persists. I like that Sarah’s daughter is often present in the illustrations observing her strong, determined and successful mother’s efforts. What a great role model for her daughter and all little girls who read this story. I admire Vivian Kirkfield’s ability to choose just the right moments from her research and then tell the story through words that capture the heart and imagination. And she has done just that with this inspiring story.

[Jolene Gutiérrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important nonfiction biography that needs to be on all library shelves.

Sarah's father was a freeman and her mother was a slave when Sarah was born in 1856. When slavery was abolished in 1865, Sarah and her family moved to Chicago. Her father was a carpenter and Sarah and her husband opened a furniture business. Sarah saw a need for a space-saving bed, so she invented one, and then applied for a patent. After waiting a year, her application was denied. Will Sarah ever achieve her dreams?

Through Vivian Kirkfield's extensive research and Chris Ewald's gorgeous artwork, you'll learn about Sarah and her perseverance.