Stronger Than

An Afro-Indigenous boy experiencing nightmares learns about the events experienced by his ancestors in a nested telling from African American poet Grimes (A Cup of Quiet), Choctaw author Wells (the Tana Cooks series), and Lenni Lenape artist Lewis (Sparrow). Living with his family in a place “now named Oklahoma,” Black and Choctaw eight-year-old Dante Dawes isn’t afraid of much—just the bad dreams that visit him regularly. After yet another nightmare wakes him, his mother tells him about ancestors who were “stronger than” the history they endured: the Trail of Tears and the Tulsa Race Massacre. The authorial collaborators weave sensate anchors into an extended telling, adding to the text’s depth, as when Dante, researching his lineage, realizes, “This was a hard story,/ sharp as a thorn.” Realistic watercolor illustrations intersperse full-color present-day spreads with dark-blue nightmare sequences and sepia-toned historical scenes as Dante finds his way toward sound sleep, and the understanding that “we come from people stronger than fear” in this thoughtful picture book. Closes with creator notes, more about the historical events discussed, and a Choctaw-English glossary. Ages 4–8. Authors’ agents: (for Grimes) Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown; (for Wells) Savannah Brooks, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jeff Dwyer, Dwyer & O’Grady. (Jan.)