3 Books Published by Royal Swan Enterprises on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

With the guileless wonder and innocence of a little girl, Alaina is profoundly changed by the performance. As she falls in love with the art of live theater, her enthusiasm lands her center stage. “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…”

Praise For Alaina And The Great Play…
“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

“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

“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

The Women Who Caught the Babies highlights important aspects of the training and work of African-American midwives and the ways in which they have helped, and continue to help, so many families by "catching" their babies at birth. The blend of Eloise Greenfield’s poetry and Daniel Minter’s art evokes heartfelt appreciation of the abilities of African-American midwifes over the course of time. The poem "Africa to America" begins the poetic journey. The poem "The Women" both heralds the poetry/art pairing and concludes it with a note of gratitude. Also included is a piece titled "Miss Rovenia Mayo," which pays tribute to the midwife who caught newborn Eloise.

What happens when the family closes the front door and leaves the house for an outing? "The head of cabbage, sitting in the fridge, hears the front door close, hears the click of the key … He looks out … sees his people leave … He stands in the middle of the floor … throws his head back and yells, "PAR-TAY!" Children and adults will experience this house party through the buoyant, rhythmic words of Eloise Greenfield and the playful, exuberant illustrations of Don Tate. Read and join the PAR-TAY!