Description

A poignant story celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

It’s 1862 and the Civil War has turned out to be a long, deadly conflict. Hope’s father can’t stand the waiting a minute longer and decides to join the Union army to fight for freedom. He slips away one tearful night, leaving Hope, who knows she may never see her father again, with only a conch shell for comfort. Its sound, Papa says, echoes the promised song of freedom. It’s a long wait for freedom and on the nights when the cannons roar, Papa seems farther away than ever. But then Lincoln finally does it: on January 1, 1863, he issues the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves, and a joyful Hope finally spies the outline of a familiar man standing on the horizon.

Affectingly written and gorgeously illustrated, Hope’s Gift captures a significant moment in American history with deep emotion and a lot of charm.

About the Author

Don Tate grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where he learned about Black history at the Center for Study and Application of Black Theology. He grew up to become an author and illustrator of numerous award-winning children's books, including It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw and Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton, both of received Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor awards. He lives in Austin, Texas.