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Magnolia Flower
From beloved African American folklorist Zora Neale Hurston comes a moving adaptation by National Book Award winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and Antiracist Baby, Ibram X. Kendi. Magnolia Flower follows a young Afro Indigenous girl who longs for freedom and is gorgeously illustrated by Loveis Wise (The People Remember, Ablaze with Color).
Born to parents who fled slavery and the Trail of Tears, Magnolia Flower is a girl with a vibrant spirit. Not to be deterred by rigid ways of the world, she longs to connect with others, who too long for freedom. She finds this in a young man of letters who her father disapproves of. In her quest to be free, Magnolia must make a choice and set off on a journey that will prove just how brave one can be when leading with one’s heart.
The acclaimed writer of several American classics, Zora Neale Hurston wrote this stirring folktale brimming with poetic prose, culture, and history. It was first published as a short story in The Spokesman in 1925 and later in her collection Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick (2020).
Tenderly retold by #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi, Magnolia Flower is a story of a transformative and radical devotion between generations of Indigenous and Black people in America. With breathtaking illustrations by Loveis Wise, this picture book reminds us that there is no force strong enough to stop love.
Born to parents who fled slavery and the Trail of Tears, Magnolia Flower is a girl with a vibrant spirit. Not to be deterred by rigid ways of the world, she longs to connect with others, who too long for freedom. She finds this in a young man of letters who her father disapproves of. In her quest to be free, Magnolia must make a choice and set off on a journey that will prove just how brave one can be when leading with one’s heart.
The acclaimed writer of several American classics, Zora Neale Hurston wrote this stirring folktale brimming with poetic prose, culture, and history. It was first published as a short story in The Spokesman in 1925 and later in her collection Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick (2020).
Tenderly retold by #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi, Magnolia Flower is a story of a transformative and radical devotion between generations of Indigenous and Black people in America. With breathtaking illustrations by Loveis Wise, this picture book reminds us that there is no force strong enough to stop love.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2022
6 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Ibram X. Kendi
38 books7,323 followersDr. Ibram X. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News racial justice contributor. He is the host of the new action podcast, Be Antiracist.
Dr. Kendi is the author of many highly acclaimed books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest ever winner of that award. He had also produced five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant.
Dr. Kendi is the author of many highly acclaimed books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest ever winner of that award. He had also produced five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
March 5, 2024
Picture book about a girl who defies her parents for love - Maroons/Seminoles living deep in Florida - adapted from a story by Zora Neale Hurston.
February 16, 2025
Such a beautiful book that I can't wait for my 3 year old son to read. Happy Black History Month y'all 🙌🏾
May 16, 2023
I'm all in on Zora Neale Hurston this year after seeing the amazing documentary on PBS, Claiming a Space. I discovered this beautifully illustrated picture book when searching my library's website for her books. Ibram X Kendi has simplified Zora's original short story, with illustrations by Loveis Wise. Set during and after the civil war, it's a touching tale of true love told by the St. John's river to a brook that annoyingly started asking questions of the river who has witnessed so much over the centuries. If you read the original, you'll see that it's full of violence which, thank goodness, has been stripped out of this children's book. I think that younger children would need some explanation making it a perfect book for caring adults to read to them. Speaking of reading aloud, I discovered that there's an audiobook beautifully (and powerfully) read by the great Sheryl Lee Ralph.
In the afterward, we learn that Kendi wants to adapt others of Zora's stories which I eagerly wait to see more of!
In the afterward, we learn that Kendi wants to adapt others of Zora's stories which I eagerly wait to see more of!
January 5, 2023
A lovely tale with absolutely knockout illustrations.
The figurative language is quite advanced and abstract, so I would not classify this with picture books. Kids of picture book age having this read to them would need a good deal of involvement from their grownups to help with comprehension.
The figurative language is quite advanced and abstract, so I would not classify this with picture books. Kids of picture book age having this read to them would need a good deal of involvement from their grownups to help with comprehension.
March 18, 2023
Zora Neale Hurston - anything by her is a treasure to hold dearly! The illustrations by Loveis Wise match Hurston's tale and are so beautiful that I took many pictures of them to paint into my personal journal! Thank you Zora!
May 18, 2023
So lovely and sad together. The bittersweet truth of life. Would be a perfect story for children, but will probably, if not already, banned.
December 20, 2022
3.0 to 3.5 stars.
Oh man, I really really wanted to love this one and it pains me to give it a three star review because yeah... I really really wanted to love this! SOBS.
The Good:
The artwork is beautiful. I could stare at the pages for hours just taking it all in. Truly beautiful stuff.
The Less Good:
I'm not really sure who this book is meant for? Like the subject matter is heavy but also doesn't go into detail (specifically slavery and the Trail of Tears) so it is kind of confusing as to who is supposed to be reading this book.
Because this is an adaptation from adult reading material, there are some parts that kind of do not make sense to me. For example, Bentley locks up John because.... he didn't want him with his daughter? And as a result, Magnolia Flower and John run away and never, ever see her parents again? That all seems really extreme without any additional information (from other reviews it appears that Bentley was an abuser so that would make more sense regarding Magnolia Flower not returning until she and John were very old).
All in all, I appreciate the goal behind the book but feel like it would have worked better as a middle grade chapter book with illustrations versus a picture book.
Oh man, I really really wanted to love this one and it pains me to give it a three star review because yeah... I really really wanted to love this! SOBS.
The Good:
The artwork is beautiful. I could stare at the pages for hours just taking it all in. Truly beautiful stuff.
The Less Good:
I'm not really sure who this book is meant for? Like the subject matter is heavy but also doesn't go into detail (specifically slavery and the Trail of Tears) so it is kind of confusing as to who is supposed to be reading this book.
Because this is an adaptation from adult reading material, there are some parts that kind of do not make sense to me. For example, Bentley locks up John because.... he didn't want him with his daughter? And as a result, Magnolia Flower and John run away and never, ever see her parents again? That all seems really extreme without any additional information (from other reviews it appears that Bentley was an abuser so that would make more sense regarding Magnolia Flower not returning until she and John were very old).
All in all, I appreciate the goal behind the book but feel like it would have worked better as a middle grade chapter book with illustrations versus a picture book.
May 14, 2023
beautiful and powerful 🖤
April 25, 2023
I mean, it’s Zora!!! 💚💚💚
October 6, 2024
*listened with Hendrix*
September 20, 2022
Magnolia Flower was originally a short story by Zora Neale Hurston that’s been adapted to this beautifully illustrated picture book by Ibram X. Kendi. It tells the story of a native woman and a black man who have a daughter all during the time of slavery. It’s told from the pov of the trees and river that have witnessed many things over many centuries.
May 3, 2023
The gorgeous illustrations of this story make up for what the story itself lacks, namely a cohesive narrative that’s age-appropriate for a picture-book audience. The fact that Magnolia Flower’s father escapes slavery only to become an oppressor to his own daughter requires more explanation than River provides. And who is the “I” who “bore a young man named John about Magnolia’s age.” Though lovely, the poetic language often becomes too obtuse for adults and wee ones alike. The Historical and Author’s Notes help supplement our understanding of the intention of this adaptation of Hurston’s original short story, but her sophisticated writing does not tend to lend itself to summary.
March 28, 2025
Read this for Children's Lit class. The conversations behind the art were really cool!
November 12, 2022
Adapted by Ibram X. Kendi, this short story by Zora Neale Hurston is told from the perspective of a river and a brook in Florida as they observe people in love sitting on their banks. The river recalls a story about a Maroon (runaway enslaved man) named Bentley who took an indigenous woman (Swift Deer) as his wife. They had a daughter they named Magnolia Flower. Magnolia fell in love with John, a Black man that her father did not approve of because he was a man of words - not wealth. After Bentley locks John up, Magnolia frees her lover and the two escape into the night and return 40 years later to visit the place they met and fell in love.
Kendi has simplified Hurston's short story down to the bare bones, updating terminology for today's youth (using terms such as "teasing" instead of "coquettish", "Mighty" instead of "Venerable"), filling in nouns for pronouns to clarify the action, and editing out passages that are violent and might disturb young children. While some images are able to support some of the action and emotion of the story that has been cut, such as the fear of war and enslavement, there is no mention or image of Bentley's anger, violence, or mistreatment of his wife and others (outside of him locking up John) and the statement that "all feared Bentley". This might cause some children to wonder why Magnolia felt the need to run away from home. Another place that may be confusing to youngsters is when John and Magnolia meet. In the text, the River states: "I bore a young man named John..." It took me a minute to realize who "I" was and that the River did not deliver him as a mother would... The first half of the book feels stronger and more solid than the second.
Loveis Wise used Photoshop to created the digital artwork. It is generally attractive, bright, and inviting. That said, the vegetation does not feel like that in Florida - there is too much lush green growing and generic flowers blooming under the dense canopy of the trees which probably had little more than dirt underneath them. Hurston specifies the trees as Palmetto palms several times in the short story ("the trees" are not ID'd by Kendi), yet only multi-rooted banyan-type trees and orange trees are depicted. (Orange trees are seen as they are mentioned in the text.) I had a difficult time picking out which were the "three trees" Magnolia and John talk about. Interestingly enough, Hurston and Kendi identify Swift Deer in the text as "Cherokee" (which were not originally from Florida and Seminoles were found in the villages settled by Maroons), however Wise dresses Swift Deer in Seminole dress (which is correct).
A serviceable introduction to the work of the amazing Zora Neale Hurston. This could be a teaser for high school students to entice them to read her stories for themselves and compare the two. I have very mixed feelings personally about sharing this with young children, hence suggesting it for upper elementary and middle grades for individual enjoyment and discussion.
Recommended for grades 4-12.
Kendi has simplified Hurston's short story down to the bare bones, updating terminology for today's youth (using terms such as "teasing" instead of "coquettish", "Mighty" instead of "Venerable"), filling in nouns for pronouns to clarify the action, and editing out passages that are violent and might disturb young children. While some images are able to support some of the action and emotion of the story that has been cut, such as the fear of war and enslavement, there is no mention or image of Bentley's anger, violence, or mistreatment of his wife and others (outside of him locking up John) and the statement that "all feared Bentley". This might cause some children to wonder why Magnolia felt the need to run away from home. Another place that may be confusing to youngsters is when John and Magnolia meet. In the text, the River states: "I bore a young man named John..." It took me a minute to realize who "I" was and that the River did not deliver him as a mother would... The first half of the book feels stronger and more solid than the second.
Loveis Wise used Photoshop to created the digital artwork. It is generally attractive, bright, and inviting. That said, the vegetation does not feel like that in Florida - there is too much lush green growing and generic flowers blooming under the dense canopy of the trees which probably had little more than dirt underneath them. Hurston specifies the trees as Palmetto palms several times in the short story ("the trees" are not ID'd by Kendi), yet only multi-rooted banyan-type trees and orange trees are depicted. (Orange trees are seen as they are mentioned in the text.) I had a difficult time picking out which were the "three trees" Magnolia and John talk about. Interestingly enough, Hurston and Kendi identify Swift Deer in the text as "Cherokee" (which were not originally from Florida and Seminoles were found in the villages settled by Maroons), however Wise dresses Swift Deer in Seminole dress (which is correct).
A serviceable introduction to the work of the amazing Zora Neale Hurston. This could be a teaser for high school students to entice them to read her stories for themselves and compare the two. I have very mixed feelings personally about sharing this with young children, hence suggesting it for upper elementary and middle grades for individual enjoyment and discussion.
Recommended for grades 4-12.
December 1, 2022
As Ibram Kendi writes in a note at the end, this book is adapted from a short story by Zora Neale Hurston published in 1925.
The story is told by a river to a brook, wanting to know about people in love. The river complies, and begins to tell the brook about Magnolia Flower, a girl born of an escaped slave and a Cherokee woman four years before the Civil War.
When Magnolia Flower grew up, she fell in love with a man named John.
“John had taught Magnolia to read strange marvels with her dark eyes, and she had taught John to sing with his.”
But Magnolia’s father disapproved of John - this poor man of words instead of guns, and the young couple had to flee, taking a boat northward: “‘That happened more than forty years ago, as humans reckon time,’ River said.”
But River still knew of them: “The tide brought all their tears to me. And their joy. And their love. Their love is Mighty and ever flowing like me.”
What happens at the end of the story is beautiful.
Lush, gorgeous illustrations by Loveis Wise bring the setting alive and add a magical quality.
The book concludes with an historical note and an author’s note. In the latter, Kendi writes:
“Love is a consistent theme in Hurston’s work and again in this book. Love is conveyed as a formative force, a binding force, an eternal force, marking this book as another moving Hurston love story. A love story of freedom. A love story of nature. A love story of Afro-indigenous resistance. A love story of home.”
The book is bracketed by luxuriant and exquisite magnolia flowers on the end papers.
Evaluation: Readers aged 4 and over will pour over the narration and pictures in this stunning and moving book. In addition, the story will introduce many readers to the pre-Civil War existence of colonies of free Blacks and relocated Native peoples, and how their fates sometimes intertwined.
The story is told by a river to a brook, wanting to know about people in love. The river complies, and begins to tell the brook about Magnolia Flower, a girl born of an escaped slave and a Cherokee woman four years before the Civil War.
When Magnolia Flower grew up, she fell in love with a man named John.
“John had taught Magnolia to read strange marvels with her dark eyes, and she had taught John to sing with his.”
But Magnolia’s father disapproved of John - this poor man of words instead of guns, and the young couple had to flee, taking a boat northward: “‘That happened more than forty years ago, as humans reckon time,’ River said.”
But River still knew of them: “The tide brought all their tears to me. And their joy. And their love. Their love is Mighty and ever flowing like me.”
What happens at the end of the story is beautiful.
Lush, gorgeous illustrations by Loveis Wise bring the setting alive and add a magical quality.
The book concludes with an historical note and an author’s note. In the latter, Kendi writes:
“Love is a consistent theme in Hurston’s work and again in this book. Love is conveyed as a formative force, a binding force, an eternal force, marking this book as another moving Hurston love story. A love story of freedom. A love story of nature. A love story of Afro-indigenous resistance. A love story of home.”
The book is bracketed by luxuriant and exquisite magnolia flowers on the end papers.
Evaluation: Readers aged 4 and over will pour over the narration and pictures in this stunning and moving book. In addition, the story will introduce many readers to the pre-Civil War existence of colonies of free Blacks and relocated Native peoples, and how their fates sometimes intertwined.
February 24, 2025
"I always felt that the River knew all about you and me."💞
Through the voices of the brook and river, we are reminded that even as time moves forward, our stories never truly fade.🌊📖✨
What a beautiful story to read in February. Magnolia Flower is a gorgeous tale of love and the timeless storytelling of nature🌿. Told through the voices of a brook and a river 🌊, this story reminds us that history lives on through the world around us. I’ve read this book multiple times this month, and each time, I find myself drawn deeper into its beauty.
Bentley, an escaped slave, married Swift Deer, "a Cherokee woman who had fled her own trail of tears" - I just melted, so beautiful.
My favorite aspect, or characters, of this story are brook and river. They have seen centuries pass, yet they continue to whisper the stories of those who came before. How the river and brook 🌊converse make it feel like more than just a love story—it’s a tale of history, endurance, and the way the past is carried forward. This is especially powerful when considering the backdrop of the Trail of Tears (1830s), a time when so many Indigenous people were forcibly removed from their lands, carrying with them not just their belongings but their histories, cultures, and pain. At the same time, the fight against slavery was building, with enslaved people seeking freedom by escaping, resisting, and holding on to their own stories. The brook and river🌊, ever-flowing, seem to whisper these untold histories, reminding us that even in displacement, love and legacy endure.
Magnolia and John’s love story taps into the classic “run away with my love” trope. Magnolia’s father disapproves of their love, leading to their dramatic escape. Which played a role in the rating because there was never any mention of closer between father and daughter. With this book being marketed to children, it should never be left unsaid that we must honor our parents. Even if we run away or have a meltdown there should always be resolution to the disagreement in a fictional story. Children see enough in the real world, it should not be present in the stories they because stories are what shape us. With that note- Years later, Magnolia and John return, and the brook and river are there to witness it. 🌊💞It’s a perfect ending that ties back to the theme of history living on through the land, the water, and the stories we share.
Through the voices of the brook and river, we are reminded that even as time moves forward, our stories never truly fade.🌊📖✨
What a beautiful story to read in February. Magnolia Flower is a gorgeous tale of love and the timeless storytelling of nature🌿. Told through the voices of a brook and a river 🌊, this story reminds us that history lives on through the world around us. I’ve read this book multiple times this month, and each time, I find myself drawn deeper into its beauty.
Bentley, an escaped slave, married Swift Deer, "a Cherokee woman who had fled her own trail of tears" - I just melted, so beautiful.
My favorite aspect, or characters, of this story are brook and river. They have seen centuries pass, yet they continue to whisper the stories of those who came before. How the river and brook 🌊converse make it feel like more than just a love story—it’s a tale of history, endurance, and the way the past is carried forward. This is especially powerful when considering the backdrop of the Trail of Tears (1830s), a time when so many Indigenous people were forcibly removed from their lands, carrying with them not just their belongings but their histories, cultures, and pain. At the same time, the fight against slavery was building, with enslaved people seeking freedom by escaping, resisting, and holding on to their own stories. The brook and river🌊, ever-flowing, seem to whisper these untold histories, reminding us that even in displacement, love and legacy endure.
Magnolia and John’s love story taps into the classic “run away with my love” trope. Magnolia’s father disapproves of their love, leading to their dramatic escape. Which played a role in the rating because there was never any mention of closer between father and daughter. With this book being marketed to children, it should never be left unsaid that we must honor our parents. Even if we run away or have a meltdown there should always be resolution to the disagreement in a fictional story. Children see enough in the real world, it should not be present in the stories they because stories are what shape us. With that note- Years later, Magnolia and John return, and the brook and river are there to witness it. 🌊💞It’s a perfect ending that ties back to the theme of history living on through the land, the water, and the stories we share.
November 27, 2022
A brook and a tree watch as love blossoms between an indigenous woman and a black male. Both of them are on the run to escape their enslavement and start a new life. Their meeting produces a daughter named Magnolia Flower. She is a treasure among nature and goes on to fall in love with a male her father disapproves of. With hearts in her eyes, she runs away with him, uncaring about his lack of finances because there are more important things in life to Magnolia.
MAGNOLIA FLOWER is a retelling of a folktale written by Zora Neale Hurston and encompasses the beauty in both nature and love. Difficult times have a way of bringing people together and this book demonstrates that with stunning and vibrant illustrations. At first, I was a bit confused on what was going on, but once I caught on to the message, I became entranced. They lyrical theme and bright colors bring life to the story unlike many other books out there. I love how it's told from nature's point of view because it brings in a unique perspective to a powerful children's book.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children who love nature, stories of love and overcoming challenges, and adventure.
MAGNOLIA FLOWER is a retelling of a folktale written by Zora Neale Hurston and encompasses the beauty in both nature and love. Difficult times have a way of bringing people together and this book demonstrates that with stunning and vibrant illustrations. At first, I was a bit confused on what was going on, but once I caught on to the message, I became entranced. They lyrical theme and bright colors bring life to the story unlike many other books out there. I love how it's told from nature's point of view because it brings in a unique perspective to a powerful children's book.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children who love nature, stories of love and overcoming challenges, and adventure.
July 2, 2023
An old Mighty River patiently encounters a bubbly brook. “Why, O Young Water, do you disturb my sleep?” The brook is exuberant “the Trees and Wind say beautiful things to me … and there are people in love beneath the orange trees on my banks.” Mighty River has seen many people in love and tells the story of Magnolia Flower, the daughter of a Cherokee woman, Swift Deer, and Bentley, an enslaved man who escaped and started a free community. When Magnolia Flower falls in love with a man that Bentley doesn’t approve of, John and Magnolia Flower run away so they can be together. The couple returns to their home when they are much older. “I always felt that the River knew all about you and me.”
A retelling of short story written by Zora Neale Hurston. An author’s note talks about the importance of making Hurston’s stories available to a younger audience.
A retelling of short story written by Zora Neale Hurston. An author’s note talks about the importance of making Hurston’s stories available to a younger audience.
April 8, 2023
This amazing book is beautifully adapted from a Zora Neale Hurston story by Ibram X Kendi who wants children to know Black literature at young ages. This book is part history, part fable, with River telling a love story to Brook about an escaped slave who made his own village and a Cherokee woman who married him. Their daughter, Magnolia Flower, grew up and fell in love with a man her father despised, so the two ran away together. In the end, they come back to visit River at the place where they began their getaway. The lyrical language matches the flow of River and Brook, and the illustrations enhance the mood. Back matter includes an historical note and an author's note that explain both the historical and literary background. Recommended for older children through adults.
May 29, 2023
Even though I enjoy the artwork, I wonder if I might have enjoyed this book more in audio version...
This picture book, Magnolia Flower, is a picture book adaption of a short story written by Zora Neale Hurston in 1925. It is also the second piece of work I've read by this particular author, the first being Their Eyes Were Watching God. That book I listened to as an audiobook. That said, I recall I also gave it a solid 4 stars like I have Magnolia Flower.
The illustrations in Magnolia Flower were beautiful. The poetry flowed well along with the illustrations. I especially enjoyed how nature was incorporated into the story, as well as historical notes that did not feel dropped in. Overall, a good story.
This picture book, Magnolia Flower, is a picture book adaption of a short story written by Zora Neale Hurston in 1925. It is also the second piece of work I've read by this particular author, the first being Their Eyes Were Watching God. That book I listened to as an audiobook. That said, I recall I also gave it a solid 4 stars like I have Magnolia Flower.
The illustrations in Magnolia Flower were beautiful. The poetry flowed well along with the illustrations. I especially enjoyed how nature was incorporated into the story, as well as historical notes that did not feel dropped in. Overall, a good story.
June 26, 2024
I love everything Zora Neale Hurston, and this was no exception. Yes, it is a young reader’s adaptation, but the story is there. The artwork was beautifully rendered, and her literary voice, imo, was carried into the River’s yet I find myself thinking that her actual voice sounded more like the Brook. Younger and hungry for knowledge, asking the questions to get those stories. The short story can be read in Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance which I would vehemently recommend you read anyways.
October 29, 2022
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, an author on anti-racism that I have read and respect, adapts a story from the works of Zora Neale Hurston for a wonderful children’s book. Beautiful imaginative illustrations by Loveis Wise. I have read Hurston and enjoy her stories but always feel like I am missing out a bit because I don’t always fully understand the dialect in which she writes. Dr. Kendi does a great job with his adaptation. It is the story of an escaped enslaved person who marries a Native American escaped from the enforced removals, they have a child named Magnolia Flower who marries a “man of words” and leaves her home.
February 14, 2025
This story is about the movement of Indigenous individuals and the importance of their lives. The family in the story decide to have a child and name her Magnolia Flower. This name represents the flowers that were in bloom at the marsh upon their arrival. The story signifies the importance of the Magnolia in the marsh and how the young girl symbolizes importance in the real world. After Magnolia Flower’s parents have passed, she returns to the marsh where they met to see its beauty and how it has grown. The story can be used in the classroom to teach students on the movement of Indigenous people and how they have shaped our society and movements over time.
September 10, 2022
Ibram X. Kendi retells and Loveis Wise illustrates Zora Neal Hurston’s short story “Magnolia Flower,” a tale of two people who fall in love and seek freedom. It’s a gorgeous book fitting g for young students as well as older ones.
I see this beautiful picture book as a mentor text for high school students learning to rewrite short stories in a way that captures the story and its themes. These, in turn, can serve as introduction to writers like Hurston. Kendi writes about his vision for bringing Hurston to young children i. an afterword to the book.
I see this beautiful picture book as a mentor text for high school students learning to rewrite short stories in a way that captures the story and its themes. These, in turn, can serve as introduction to writers like Hurston. Kendi writes about his vision for bringing Hurston to young children i. an afterword to the book.
October 22, 2022
5 stars indeed! Visually it's stunning! The story is beautiful, relatable, informative, accessible in multiple ways to children & adults alike.
It reminded me of the stories I read as a child & then read to my young daughters. Folktales that that relied on exquisite use of language & imagery to tell a tale of love & triumph, of lessons learned & perseverance.
What a lovely melding of talented, creative people: Zora Neale Hurston's story, Ibram X. Kendi's words, and Loveis Wise's artwork. It's a tale of old reworked for modern storytelling.
It reminded me of the stories I read as a child & then read to my young daughters. Folktales that that relied on exquisite use of language & imagery to tell a tale of love & triumph, of lessons learned & perseverance.
What a lovely melding of talented, creative people: Zora Neale Hurston's story, Ibram X. Kendi's words, and Loveis Wise's artwork. It's a tale of old reworked for modern storytelling.
November 28, 2022
The art in this story is beautiful. I also really appreciated the backstory of the characters. The love story was also cute, albeit cliche, but I something about this story just doesn't gel well. I'm going to show the kids this story because I like the historical references. It'll introduce two important topics (slavery, the trail of tears), even if there is no real context on these matters. It's my understanding that the original story was for adults and this was adopted for children. Whatever. I'm going to let them read it but I'm not in love with the way the story was adapted.
December 13, 2023
Ibram X. Kendi has adapted a character created by African American folklorist Zora Neale Hurston. His poetic words are amplified by glorious illustrations by Lovis Wise.
"After the [Civil War] ended, slavery ended.
Black people walked
free on the lands of Swift Deer's ancestors.
Wind and water again grew sweet.
Magnolia Flower started to fully bloom."
This is a love story, deepened by historical context; a touching tale that is also gently inspiring. A FIVE STAR wonder of a picture book!
"After the [Civil War] ended, slavery ended.
Black people walked
free on the lands of Swift Deer's ancestors.
Wind and water again grew sweet.
Magnolia Flower started to fully bloom."
This is a love story, deepened by historical context; a touching tale that is also gently inspiring. A FIVE STAR wonder of a picture book!
April 11, 2024
Illustrations are beautiful!
I'm not sure kids want to read about people who fall in love and must run away and never see their parents and families again to be together. The historical note at the end might need to be covered first, depending on the kid. I know I'd rather read the original Zora Neale Hurston, but many books I didn't think would be hits when I read on my own became beloved after reading with my child or became starting points for important conversations. This may have been one of those.
I'm not sure kids want to read about people who fall in love and must run away and never see their parents and families again to be together. The historical note at the end might need to be covered first, depending on the kid. I know I'd rather read the original Zora Neale Hurston, but many books I didn't think would be hits when I read on my own became beloved after reading with my child or became starting points for important conversations. This may have been one of those.
April 4, 2025
Written by THEE Zora Neale Hurston "Magnolia Flower" is a powerful story that follows a young girl, born to parents who faced unimaginable struggles, as she seeks connection and freedom in a world that often stifles her spirit. With rich historical context and beautifully evocative language, the narrative captures Magnolia's bravery and determination as she navigates love and self-discovery. Her journey is inspiring and educational illustrating the strength that comes from following one’s heart.
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