Love Twelve Miles Long

"Share this with young readers as a series of homilies on dreams and a family love strong enough to overcome any adversity."

"As an ode to the love a mother has for her son, it is sweetly successful."

Bootman's beautiful, double-page watercolor spreads show mother and son together in the candlelit kitchen, Bailey as a strong woman at work in the cornfields, and finally on her long, tough, moonlit journey, during which, she tells her son, each mile is special. . . Starting with the boy's elemental question, "Mama, why can't I live with you?," the words and pictures tell the family separation story in all its heartbreak and hope.

"Inspired by the childhood of Frederick Douglass, Armand's debut reveals a poignant conversation between young Frederick and his mother, paired with Bootman's arresting and emotive paintings. . . Bootman (A Storm Called Katrina) deftly uses candlelight and moonlight to give his art a lovely iridescence, and presents intimate portraits of mother and son."

"This poignant story, based on Frederick Douglass's childhood, tells how his mother, a slave, would walk twelve miles at night for a brief visit with her son. Soothing text describes how she overcomes the monotony and loneliness through songs (joyful and sad), the solace of prayer, and love. Emotional paintings capture moods, especially the joy of reunion that wipes away weariness."

"In a story brimming with hope and love, the real-life horrors of slavery lie elsewhere, where an older audience can grapple with them. The author's note gives additional information about Frederick Douglass, who changed his surname in order to obscure his identity from the master he escaped. . . We can all use a comforting story of love, even—or especially—if it is ripped from a brutal past."