Sky Sash So Blue [Hardcover]

Libby Hathorn (Author), Benny Andrews (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

The special sky blue sash that a young slave girl offers to give her older sister for her wedding dress becomes a tie that binds the family together when the sister moves away.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Words and artwork play off of one another like musical riffs in this story of one family who transforms fabric scraps into art and whose bonds of love are stronger than the chains of slavery. Readers may well suspect that Hathorn (Grandma's Shoes) conceived her eloquent, rhyming narrative poem in tandem with Andrews, who crafts dramatic tableaulike paintings with accents made of canvas and cut paper. Susannah, a young slave girl, treasures a "sash of pale blue, made of pieces of sky" stitched and given to her by her mother. When Susannah's mother runs out of material to complete her sister Sissy's wedding dress, Susannah offers her pale blue prize, but Sissy refuses it. Only later, when Sissy's new husband John, a freed man, returns for his bride does Sissy accept the offering ("This gift of Susannah's will tie us fast,/ No matter how long till we meet again,/ This sash says our love got to last"). In one especially resonant spread, the newly married couple raises their attenuated faces and arms toward the sky in a joyful stylized dance. Hathorn infuses the text with quiet hope. Even as Susannah's mother cuts up the wedding dress to make dusters for the "Missus," Susannah reminds her "out of nothing you made something"; the next page shows a moment of levity?as the girl polishes with the rag, she remarks, "Didn't you dance at my sister's wedding?" Together, Hathorn and Andrews vividly bring home this powerful story's silent refrain: that hope and joy can persist amid enormous sorrow. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4ASusannah, a young slave, tells this story of heartbreak and hope, beginning with a touching description of her mother's diligent hands. The girl's sister is going to be married and for her wedding, Ma'am has been busy stitchingAfirst a sky-blue sash for Susannah and then, for Sissy, a wedding dress of scraps carefully collected from their mistress's discards. After the brief ceremony, the groom must immediately return to his distant employer. Worse, Sissy's dress must be torn apart to restore the missing rags. When Sissy's husband finally returns to buy her freedom, the family's parting is bittersweetAeased, in part, by Susannah's sacrifice of her sash as a farewell gift and by the shared hope that the future holds freedom for them all. As in Hathorn's Grandma's Shoes (Little, Brown, 1994), an article of clothing is used to symbolize the indomitable spirit of family. The poetic text employs dialect and repetition effectively although there are occasional lapses in rhyme and meter. The fabric-collage illustrations are especially appropriate to the story; their power and simplicity reflect the lives they portray. The tall, slim profile of the book itself and the generous use of white space further enhance the tactile interest of the figures. Best shared with children already aware of slavery and its sorrows, Susannah's narrative makes human and accessible the poignant struggles of a people, a family, and one little girl.ACarol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689810903
• ISBN-13: 978-0689810909
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,409,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, May 2, 2011

By 

G. Israel "Israel" (VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sky Sash So Blue (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for my son and I when he was about 5. It was one of the most breathtaking and warming, yet sad stories I have ever read in a children's book. The illustration is also beautiful. About 3 years ago, I gave it away as a wedding present and recently bought two more copies as a gift to 2 little girls, and for our library.

3.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous Illustrations, November 27, 2005

By 

Library Gaga (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sky Sash So Blue (Hardcover)

The illustrations are the star of this book. Andrews' work can be found in the Metropolitan, MOMA, and the Hirschorn, among other museums, so it's easy to see how the art can upstage anything else. Half painting, half collage, the artwork is impressive and beautiful. The figures are stiff as dolls in psychedelic landscapes.

The text, however, tells a bittersweet story of a mother and two daughters, slaves in an inhospitable environment. Sissy, the older daughter, is getting married and would like to have an `all-over' wedding dress, that is, a dress made of one piece of cloth. Her dream is unlikely to come true, because slaves don't have access to such materials. Her best hope is for her mother to stitch together bits and pieces of rags to make a dress.

The story is told from the little sister's perspective in long, rhyming passages. Though the story is dramatic and there is plenty to work with, it left me a bit cold. I felt the text was too long and it strained under the burden of having to rhyme.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise, June 7, 2001

By 

Carol J. Marotti (Glendale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sky Sash So Blue (Hardcover)

My 2 1/2 year old daughter picked this book, almost randomly, from the library shelf. I think she was attracted to the beautiful picture on the front cover. I tried to talk her out of it because the book is obviously advanced for her, but we took it home anyway. She asked for the book several times and listened to the entire story both times (high praise from a toddler). The words were beautifully written. The rhythm is slow and soothing.

I still think the book is a little mature for a toddler, but I intend to buy it and read it to her again when she's older. I love that the story of slavery is told from a child's view. I don't expect my daughter to ever understand what it would be like to be born into slavery, but this book makes this very important subject more attainable to a small child.

A also like that this is a universal story about a mother's unlimited love for her children.