  | Stronger than Author: Grimes, Nikki | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
When Dante struggles with nightmares, his mother believes learning his family's history will help him cope. The roots on both sides of his family tree run deep, with stories of survival through events Dante's mother calls "daymares."
| Added Entry - Personal Name: | Wells, Stacy |
| Illustrator: | Lewis, E. B |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/15/25)
Booklist (+) (01/01/26)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/11/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 10/20/2025 An Afro-Indigenous boy experiencing nightmares learns about the events experienced by his ancestors in a nested telling from African American poet Grimes (A Cup of Quiet), Choctaw author Wells (the Tana Cooks series), and Lenni Lenape artist Lewis (Sparrow). Living with his family in a place "now named Oklahoma," Black and Choctaw eight-year-old Dante Dawes isn’t afraid of much-just the bad dreams that visit him regularly. After yet another nightmare wakes him, his mother tells him about ancestors who were "stronger than" the history they endured: the Trail of Tears and the Tulsa Race Massacre. The authorial collaborators weave sensate anchors into an extended telling, adding to the text’s depth, as when Dante, researching his lineage, realizes, "This was a hard story,/ sharp as a thorn." Realistic watercolor illustrations intersperse full-color present-day spreads with dark-blue nightmare sequences and sepia-toned historical scenes as Dante finds his way toward sound sleep, and the understanding that "we come from people stronger than fear" in this thoughtful picture book. Closes with creator notes, more about the historical events discussed, and a Choctaw-English glossary. Ages 4-8. Authors’ agents: (for Grimes) Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown; (for Wells) Savannah Brooks, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jeff Dwyer, Dwyer & O’Grady. (Jan.) - Copyright 2025
Booklist - 01/01/2026 *Starred Review* An eight-year-old Afro-Indigenous boy faces his fears by drawing on the strength of his ancestors. Dante is not afraid of much, but nightmares make his “insides quiver,” and he wakes up crying. His mother offers a warm embrace and shows Dante pictures of their Choctaw foremother who survived the Trail of Tears and their Black foremother who survived the Tulsa Race Massacre. Inspired to learn more about his family’s history, the child heads to the public library (“the house of stories”) to find answers. In the pages of books, he reads his predecessors’ stories of being forcibly removed from their homes and subjected to brutality. The truths cut deep, “sharp as a thorn.” By digging into his family’s roots, Dante also discovers an intergenerational legacy of courage and enduring love. With a newfound sense of pride, connection, and knowledge, the child sleeps well: “We come from people stronger than fear, stronger than nightmares, stronger than anything.” Lewis’ (Lenni Lanape) watercolor paintings capture a sun-dappled summertime in contemporary Oklahoma, as well as sepia-toned historical scenes. Choctaw words are interwoven in the lyrical text of Coretta Scott King Award winner Grimes and debut author Wells (Choctaw). Back matter includes notes from the creators, historical information, and a glossary. A powerful picture book about a Black Choctaw child discovering who he is. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.
