SMALL-GIRL TONI AND THE QUEST FOR GOLD
Small-Girl Toni is certain that stories—her stories—can change the world. Many adults in her predominantly Black community disagree, but Small-Girl Toni does what real-life Morrison will become known for when faced with doubt from critics—she tells stories anyway. Like stories about treasure in her town to draw her siblings into a hunt. The foursome pick blackberries as they search for doubloons in lonely Ms. Solomon’s backyard; they offer to walk Widow Sersee’s dogs in the hope the canines will sniff out long-buried gold; they peer enthusiastically through the candy shop window at golden treats, only to be rebuffed by the white store owner. All the while Small-Girl Toni spins her tales, and as the siblings arrive home glumly with no treasure, she helps them see the gold they found along the way—“It’s all in how you tell the story.” Bold softness is as much a signature for Figueroa’s illustrations as it is for Morrison herself. Bright, rich spreads celebrate the deep roots of Toni’s small town and the exuberant heights of her story landscapes. Readers will return again and again to search the pages—younger ones to find the different examples of gold and older ones to find Anatol’s creative nods to Morrison’s writings, referenced in the appended biographical note.
