Adapted by Virginia Hamilton

Adapted by Jaime Adoff

Illustrated by April Harrison

On Sale: Jan 19, 2027
Page Count: 56 pages
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
ISBN-13: 9780316532389
Age Range: 4–8

$19.99

$25.99 CAD

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Hardcover $19.99 $25.99 CAD
Audiobook Download (Unabridged) $14.99

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Fairy Violet sets off on a quest to confront the cruel Frost King and save her kingdom, in this gorgeously illustrated fairy tale adventure.

In this luminous reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s fairy tale, Virginia Hamilton tells the story of Violet—a small but mighty fairy. Violet knows her flower friends are in danger as the Frost King forbids sunlight in his kingdom. When the queen calls for a messenger to convince the Frost King to stop his destruction, Violet is first to volunteer. But the king is not easily convinced, and Violet soon finds herself imprisoned in the depths of the Frost King’s frigid world. Will she be able to sway the king’s wicked heart and protect those she loves most?

Virginia Hamilton long admired Alcott’s fairy tale and took great measures to honor the message of kindness that Violet’s actions represent. While Hamilton passed away before completing this project, her son Jaime Adoff thoughtfully weaves together this special story for today’s young readers. Together with April Harrison’s magnificent artwork, this captivating picture book celebrates courage, perseverance, and the power that lives inside us all.

Genre:

Virginia Hamilton was a groundbreaking author whose stories centered Black children at a time when there were very few books written with them in mind. She wrote more than forty children’s books across genres and was the first Black woman to win the Newbery Medal for M.C Higgins the Great, which also won the National Book Award. She received a MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant, as well as multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, among many other honors.

Jaime Adoff is an award-winning author of many books for children and teens including The Song Shoots Out of My Mouth which was a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor book and an IRA Notable Book, Jimi & Me which received the Corretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Author Award, and the young adult novels The Death of Jayson Porter and Names Will Never Hurt Me. He is the son of the late Virginia Hamilton and the renowned poet Arnold Adoff. Jaime lives in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio with his family. He invites you to visit him at therealjaimeadoff.com.

April Harrison, a renowned folk artist, is the illustrator of H is for Harlem, which received a Boston Globe Honor, among many other honors and starred reviews. She is the recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for her illustrations in Patricia C. McKissack’s final picture book, What Is Given from the Heart. Her work appears in the public collections of Vanderbilt University, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, the Atlanta Housing Authority, and the Erskine University Museum, as well as in many private collections. She invites you to visit her at april-harrison.com.

Virginia Hamilton Honors and Awards:
Newbery Medal (1975): For M. C. Higgins, the Great.
National Book Award (1975): For M. C. Higgins, the Great.
Hans Christian Andersen Medal (1992): For her body of work.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (1995): For her substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature.
MacArthur Fellowship (1995): Recognizing her as a leading writer of children's literature.
Coretta Scott King Award: Received multiple awards for her works, including M. C. Higgins, the Great and The People Could Fly.
Regina Medal (1990): For her distinguished contribution to children's literature.
De Grummond Medal (2001): From the University of Southern Mississippi for lifetime achievement in children's literature.

Honors for H Is for Harlem:
A Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book for Nonfiction
A Kirkus Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Title
An SCBWI Golden Kite Honor for Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers
A Nerdy Book Club Best of the Year Selection
A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of the Year
An ALSC Notable Book for Children
A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year
An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Selection
A CBC Teacher and Librarian Favorite Award Winner
A PureWow Happy Kid Best History Book Award Winner
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
A Junior Library Guild Selection

* "Historically rich…. Harrison’s stunning, colorful, highly textured illustrations complement and expand upon Johnson’s textual snapshots, which offer just enough detail to encourage children to deepen their knowledge of Harlem. This is a beautiful and welcome celebration of Black joy. A gem that whets the appetite to learn more about a city where art is as alive as the people who live there."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Sumptuous and necessary…Harrison’s mixed-media illustrations are meant to be savored for their layers of detail. Light seems to shine through these stunning, vibrant pages. Would that the English alphabet had more than 26 letters so that H Is for Harlem could have been longer."
Booklist, starred review
* "An ode to the beating heart of African American culture with remarkable depth and breadth. This title is a celebration of Harlem’s vibrancy, dynamism, and significance."
School Library Journal, starred review
* "Harrison’s arresting mixed-media illustrations render the abundant cast of important figures and myriad, unique surroundings in lifelike shades, lush textures, and generous dimensions, showing, as Johnson writes, that 'Harlem is a place like no other in the world.'"

Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Engaging and beautiful … What a splendid way to learn the alphabet!"
Horn Book, starred review