A Language of Stitches
The Radical Quilts of Rosie Lee Tompkins
Will be published approx. on 3. September 2026
Book
Hardback
48 pages
978-1-4197-7626-7 (ISBN)
Description
Critically acclaimed illustrator Constance Moore delivers a powerful and poetic picture book biography of groundbreaking quilter Rosie Lee Tompkins, celebrating the life and work of one of the greatest unsung artists in American history
Effie Mae Martin dreamed in bright, beautiful colors. With her needle and thread, she created designs that the world had never seen before: She mixed taffeta with T-shirts, wove patterns into words, and created shapes and stitches completely her own. But most importantly, Martin used her quilts to tell stories of Black life, of her memories with her family, and her love for her faith.
Through her work, she found freedom and courage, but she wasn't ready to share herself with the public, so she created Rosie Lee Tompkins-an artist whose radical quilts took the world by storm.
In this stunning picture book biography, Constance Moore delivers an exquisite tribute to one of the greatest, yet often overlooked, artists in our history.
Effie Mae Martin dreamed in bright, beautiful colors. With her needle and thread, she created designs that the world had never seen before: She mixed taffeta with T-shirts, wove patterns into words, and created shapes and stitches completely her own. But most importantly, Martin used her quilts to tell stories of Black life, of her memories with her family, and her love for her faith.
Through her work, she found freedom and courage, but she wasn't ready to share herself with the public, so she created Rosie Lee Tompkins-an artist whose radical quilts took the world by storm.
In this stunning picture book biography, Constance Moore delivers an exquisite tribute to one of the greatest, yet often overlooked, artists in our history.
Reviews / Votes
"A challenging topic, mental illness, is given wings by the hope stitched into the many quilts of Tompkins in this wonderful book for all ages" * School Library Journal * "Bold, deeply personal and political works rooted in Black life, faith, memory, and survival...the sparsely worded poetic format makes weighty topics like mental illness and segregation more accessible for younger readers...A visually stirring portrait of a remarkable woman." * Kirkus Review *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Abrams
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Preschool to Third Grade, Interest Age: From 4 to 8 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
Full-color illustrations throughout
Dimensions
Height: 305 mm
Width: 229 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-4197-7626-7 (9781419776267)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Constance Moore is an artist and educator based in Oakland, California. She is the illustrator of the Colors of My Life series. She loves teaching elementary school art and shares her students' love of color.