Join in with Alaina as she prepares to thank the audience at her elementary school play. Her imagination and exuberance result in something joyous and unexpected . . .
With the guileless wonder, the innocence of a little girl, Alaina is profoundly changed by the performance of a school play. As she falls in love with the art of live theater, her enthusiasm lands her center stage. Alaina recounts “But when I opened my mouth, the right words didn’t come out. I was too excited to say that little speech. It wasn’t good enough for that great play, so . . .”
With many award-winning books to her credit, Eloise Greenfield has achieved her status among the most celebrated of children’s authors. Multiple lifetime achievement awards include the ALA Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, a Living Legacy Award, a Hope S. Dean Award, an NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children among others. She has been inducted into the National Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent.
Colin Bootman was born in Trinidad, where the vibrant palette of the Caribbean influenced his painting. He moved to the United States when he was seven, where he studied art and illustration. Mr. Bootman has illustrated many books for children, winning the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award in 2004. In 2017, Colin won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Works for Children. All of his award-winning illustrations show how brilliantly his art frames moments of life.
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Kirkus Reviews –
A delightfully illustrated, one-of-a-kind Greenfield creation that will have readers wishing for another.
—Kirkus Reviews
School Library –
In this exuberant story, the oil paintings are stellar. Each picture of Alaina is so realistic and so joyful, she almost leaps off the page. Her loving and supportive community is so clearly articulated that readers will recognize the types of people on every page: her classmates, her mother, her working father, teachers. VERDICT Joy packaged up in a picture book, ready for readers to enjoy again and again.
—School Library Journal
Don Tate –
From cover to cover, this book will steal your heart. With Alaina and the Great Play, beloved author Eloise Greenfield successfully captures the joy of a Black child and the strength and support of her family as they prepare for a special performance. The emotions of the story are brought to life by the gifted Colin Bootman, whose textured paintings exude the qualities of Black Girl magic.
—Don Tate is an award-winning illustrator
Ashley Bryan –
The story went directly to the heart and life of a child … the illustrations were exciting companions to the text.
—Ashley Bryan, Author of Freedom Over Me, winner of a Newbury Honor and 19 other awards
Kelly Starling –
Eloise Greenfield is a master storyteller. She and Colin worked their magic. His illustrations made me feel like I was part of Alaina’s world.
— Kelly Starling Lyons, author and founding member of The Brown Bookshelf
Geraldine Larson –
Text and pictures capture the delight, energy, reflection and spontaneity of young Alaina. Lovely book to share with children.
—Geraldine Larson, librarian, and Field Experience Coordinator for the UNC-School of Library & Information Science
Rosie Camargo –
Award-winning author Greenfield introduces readers to Alaina, an ebullient kindergartner who discovers her love of live theater. Bootman’s gorgeous illustrations use vibrant colors and soft brushwork to create realistic scenes of a loving Black family and the exciting bustle of school.
—Rosie Camargo, Booklist
Aidyn –
I wish we could have seen more of the play. Alaina seemed like she really enjoyed the play. And then she even did a flip, just like me! I also liked that the people in the book looked so real!
–Aidyn, age 6, Kids Book Buzz