Ablaze with Color: The Amazing Life and Art of Alma Thomas

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas (HarperCollins, 2022), written by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Loveis Wise. (Ages 4-8).

 

Meet Alma Thomas (1891-1978), an African American painter whose life and art were ablaze with joyous color. Thomas was born in Columbus, Georgia, where segregation prevented her from attending the elementary school two doors down from her house. At age 15, Thomas could not attend high school in her hometown, so the family moved to Washington, D.C., hoping to escape the injustices that plagued the South.

Thomas was a learner, receiving the very first undergraduate degree in fine arts from Howard University. She then chose to share her love of art by teaching at a local junior high school. Inspired by her parents’ dedication to filling their home with books and creating a place of learning in a time of segregation, Thomas did the same for her students. She devoted her life to sharing art with young people – teaching them to make wooden marionettes and letting them perform their own plays in her living room, leading field trips and art clubs, and setting up the city’s first gallery in a school.

When Thomas was almost 70, she retired and finally focused on her own art. Inspired by nature and the joy it brings, Thomas filled her paintings with colors and patterns. Although Thomas never flew in an airplane, she imaged soaring high and looking down on the gardens and trees, turning them into streaks and smudges of color. She was even inspired by space travel and painted the Apollo 11 missions she saw on TV.

In 1972, Thomas became the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. That same year, she had a solo exhibit at the Corcoran Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. – the mayor of D.C. even declared September 9, 1972, “Alma W. Thomas Day!”

Although Thomas did not live to see the first Black president of the United States, her painting, Resurrection, now hangs in the White House thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama. It is the first artwork by a Black woman to be displayed and to be in the White House’s permanent collection.

Why You’ll Love this Picture Book

The bright, bold illustrations bring Thomas’s love of color, nature, and space to life. The text does not shy away from the obstacles faced by Thomas, but the focus is on the joy and beauty she  expressed through artwork and how as a teacher, she shared that joy with young people who might not otherwise have had the opportunity of discovery.

Additional materials include notes from the author and illustrator as well as photographs of Thomas and her artwork, including a photograph of Resurrection hanging in the White House’s Old Family Dining Room.

A bibliography contains sources, notes, and references such as articles, children’s books, and adult books. Of special note is a timeline, comparing Thomas’ life with the significant political, cultural, and scientific events happening in the United States. This timeline provides an opportunity to discuss significant historical events and how they impacted and/or inspired Thomas’ life and art.

And don’t forget to look behind the dust jacket because the book cover is spectacular!

Ablaze with Color as a Teaching Tool

This inspirational picture book is a treasure trove of teaching tools. A great place to start is the author’s Guide for Educators, Librarians and Parents.  This free downloadable guide includes activities like creating Thomas-inspired collages using color strips of paper cut in different shapes.

My favorite activity is called “Inspired Artwork.” Just as Thomas’ art was inspired by nature and space travel, children are encouraged to create artwork that represents what inspires them. The author also provides links to other resources with information about Ablaze with Color and the life of Alma Thomas. If Thomas’s life and artwork teach us anything, it is to see beauty and create from a place of joy.  Most of all, Thomas’ artwork is accessible to everyone, and Ablaze with Color embodies this accessibility and introduces children to the possibilities of art.

Accolades for Ablaze with Color

• NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Literary Work for Children
• New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2022 
• Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2022 – Informational Books for Younger Readers
• School Library Journal Best Books of 2022
• The Library of Congress 2022 Great Reads from Great Places choice for Washington, D.C.
• Cooperative Children’s Book Center Best of the Year 2023 Choices
• Jane Addams Book Award 2023 Finalist
• The 42nd Annual Northern California Book Awards Winner – Children’s Literature Younger Readers for 2022
• Starred reviews from Booklist, Horn Book Magazine, and School Library Journal

A Personal Note

Before discovering Ablaze With Color on the Books of Wonder (a children’s bookstore in NYC) webpage, I had never heard of Thomas or her artwork. Shortly after becoming mesmerized with this picture book, the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, presented the touring exhibition of Thomas’ work called, Everything is Beautiful.

The exhibition was rightfully named because it was beautiful and breathtaking. I was immediately overcome with emotion from the warmth and joy emanating from her paintings. I was also profoundly touched by how one Black woman artist was able to see so much beauty in a world filled with prejudice and segregation and dedicated her life to helping others see the beauty.

Additional Resources about Alma Thomas

• Alma Thomas: Your New Favorite Artist (YouTube)
• National Museum of Women in the Arts
• Corcoran Collection at the National Gallery of Art
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Alma Thomas: Life in Washington

Looking for More Books on Interesting Artists?

The Artivist, (Kokila, 2023), by Nikkolas Smith. The story of a young boy who sees the many injustices of the world and decides to join his art and activism and become an “Artivist,” changing the world one mural at a time.

Also check out my review of Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott (Alfred A. Knopf, 2021), written by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler and Melissa Sweet and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.