Step Right Up by author Donna Janell Bowman and illustrator Daniel Minter
Age Range: 7 – 12 years
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Publication Date: October 15, 2016
This picture book is a biography about a man named William Key who was born a slave in Tennessee. Because of his gentle manner when working with and healing horses, he became known as Doc. He desired to race horses. Unfortunately, his colt, Jim, was not a race horse but a smart horse. Jim learned to spell, write and count among many other things and traveled around the country with Doc entertaining a variety of people. My Book Eyes marveled at Doc’s numerous successes despite living in a skeptical and adverse society. The afterword adds a detailed account of Doc’s life, including assisting slaves’ escapes along the Underground Railroad. The photographs add to the readers knowledge about what life was like in William Keys’ days. The illustrator’s illustrations add emotion and help tell the story.
my book eyes 