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A photo of a hard cover book by Faith Ringgold titled "Tar Beach." The book cover is an illustration painted on a quilt of a family of 6 having dinner on a rooftop overlooking NYC and the George Washington Bridge.A photograph of an open spread of a picture book by artist Faith Ringgold. The same illustration takes up both pages. The image depicts a whimsical scene of a night sky, tall buildings taking up the skyline, and the George Washington Bridge. There is a girl in a yellow dress flying above the buildings.A photograph of an open spread of a picture book by artist Faith Ringgold. The same illustration takes up both pages. The image depicts a girl in a yellow dress sleeping on a rooftop with other tall buildings and the George Washington Bridge in the background against the night sky.A photograph of an open spread of a picture book by artist Faith Ringgold. On one side there is a colorful illustration of a Black woman is sleeping in bed. On the other side is an illustration of a family of four sitting at a table sharing a meal.

Penguin Random House LLC

Tar Beach

Tar Beach

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Description

Cassie Louise Lightfoot has a dream: to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night, up on "tar beach," the rooftop of her family's Harlem apartment building, her dreams come true. The stars lift her up, and she flies over the city, claiming the buildings as her own. As Cassie learns, anyone can fly. "All you need is somewhere to go you can't get to any other way. The next thing you know, you're flying among the stars."

Winner of a Caldecott Honor, this magical story resonates with a universal wish. Tar Beach was originally written by Faith Ringgold for her story quilt of the same name, and is a seamless weaving of fiction, autobiography, and African American history.

Published by Penguin Random House, LLC, 1991.

Hardcover, 32 pages, Color
9.5 x 12 inches
ISBN: 9780517580301

Softcover, 26 pages, Color
9.3 x 12 inches
ISBN: 9780517885444

Meet the Artist

Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold was inspired to pursue quilt making as a vehicle for her art after hearing her mother’s stories of their enslaved ancestors who were trained to make quilts on plantations. Her FWM quilt, Tar Beach 2, tells the story of Cassie, a young African American girl who grows up in Harlem.

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