A Chair for My Mother
A Chair for My Mother
Written and illustrated by Vera B. Williams
New York, Greenwillow Books, 1982
8.2" x 10.5"
Kerlan Collection, Children's Literature Research Collections
University of Minnesota Libraries
Vera B. Williams was a writer and illustrator for young people whose picture books, poetry, and novels centered on the lives of children and families at the bottom of the economic strata. Titles like A Chair for My Mother, Scooter, and Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart tackled topics rare for books of the period, including homelessness, cultural diversity, incarcerated parents, living in housing projects, and food insecurity. Ms. Williams drew on her own childhood experiences with deprivation and displacement, yet her characters and stories illuminate the resilience, community, and joy of living.