Abstract

Abstract:

In 2004, noted authors including Christopher Myers and Faith Ringgold began adapting a collection of Zora Neale Hurston's posthumously published anthropological notes into children's picture books. In this article, I examine how these adaptive revisions of Hurston’s scholarly work often mask the complex oral and written history of African American folktales in favor of celebrating a limited portrait of Hurston. In analyzing the picture books’ text, source notes, and illustrations, I contend that they point to the nuanced politics of retooling the legacy of canonical authors in adapted picture books for children.

pdf

Share