Age: 3rd-5th grade

Seeking to break the shackles of ignorance and liberate fellow African Americans and black people, Schomburg sought to unearth long hidden histories of influential black people in order to provide inspiration for the future. The writing is poetically informational, weaving strength and wonder through the biographies of under recognized figureheads such as Louverture, Nat Turner, and Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Schomburg also researched the clever tool of oppression known as whitewashing to reveal the African roots of Alexandre Dumas, John James Audubon, Pushkin, and potentially Beethoven.

Weaving these stories amidst the dedicated research of Schomburg's life was masterfully done. However, the text begins to get name heavy, turning into an unreadable list at times.

Although I've given this 4 stars, whenever I come across text heavy picture books, I wonder if the intended audience of older grade school kids scoff at the childlike presentation.