George Washington Carver addresses a room full of white U.S. congressmen on the value of the peanut. Though initially met with racist derision, he quickly earns their respect. The scene then shifts to his childhood. Born into slavery in 1864, Carver lost both parents before freedom came the following year. Childless, his former owners raised him and his brother as their own. Carver, who loved flowers, created a secret garden in the woods, watering his plants, talking to them, and experimenting. Eventually, he began taking in his neighbors’ sickly flowers, becoming “the plant doctor.”
At twelve years old, Carver left home to pursue a good education, and he found success despite poverty and racial prejudice. Throughout his life, he worked tirelessly, experimenting, learning, and sharing his knowledge with others. In an expressive picture book that focuses on the subject’s childhood more than his later accomplishments, Barretta creates a strong impression of Carver’s delight in nature, drive to learn, and sense of purpose. The oil paintings by Morrison, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor recipient, reinforce those impressions with glorious scenes of the woodland garden as well as sensitive, dignified portrayals of Carver-both the boy and the man. A biography illuminating the path, chosen in childhood, that Carver continued to follow.