So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom

Schmidt tells the powerful story of Sojourner Truth (born Isabella), highlighting the context of her courageous actions: “When Isabella was about nine, she was sold for a hundred dollars—along with a flock of sheep.” After a lifetime of slavery, Isabella escaped, yet her five-year-old son was sent to the South, leading her to travel across New York to speak to the Grand Jury. Minter paints luminously, alternating between full-bleed spreads and dreamlike vertical images. At the denouement, Schmidt describes how Isabella took on the name of Sojourner Truth as she embarked on her walking journey to denounce slavery: “In Freedom Time, when Hope kindled a fire in the dark and Happiness winked over the horizon.” A soaring poetic tribute to a human rights champion. Ages 4–8.[em] (Sept.) [/em]