Harvey, Jeanne Walker. Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas. Loveis Wise, Illus. Biography. HarperCollins, 02/2022. 40pp. $18.99. 978-0-06-302189-1. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES 1-3.
Alma Thomas loved being outside, soaking up the sparkling colors of nature. Born into a warm, creative, cultured, and loving African American family in 1890s Georgia, she felt the stifling inequity of segregation. Her family migrated to Washington, D.C. where she graduated with a degree in art, determined to bring art to her neighborhood’s children and community. At the age of seventy, Alma finally focused on her own art, producing vibrant, colorful works. She became the first African American woman with a solo show at the Whitney Museum and the first to have a painting hung in a place of honor as part of the permanent White House collection. Colorful and lively illustrations convey the vibrancy and joy of Alma’s life and work. Back matter includes an author and illustrator note, sources, and references.
Melissa McAvoy, Retired
