Amazing Grace and other multiclutural stories
Amazing Grace
How it all began
Grace and Family
Princess Grace
Grace at Christmas
Grace Titles
Grace Reviews
Amazing Grace
“Grace was a girl who loved stories” and so was I. Still am, in fact, at heart. There are now three picture books, three big books, two chapter-books and a third written (to be published next year), a paper doll, a cloth doll and a stills video. The picture books have been read on TV and radio and I still get alot of fan mail about Grace.Amazing Grace, the first book about Grace was published in 1991. No one, not even myself, suspected how popular Grace would become. But the central idea of the Grace books - that you can be anything you want - caught the imagination of thousands of readers. This is my own account of the Grace Story.
How it all began
I
had already written about forty books by the time Amazing Grace was published in 1991, but it is fair to say that it was Grace who
changed my life. I roughed out the story sitting in a health club
in London, wearing a towel. I was far away from the doorbell's ring
or the phone.Grace is really me - a little girl who loved stories. When I was a little girl, acting out pantomimes with my sister, I played all the leading parts - it didn't matter to me if they were for boys or girls, though I noticed boys' roles were often more fun. So when Grace wanted to be Peter Pan, I had another character tell her she couldn't because she was a girl. Because things have moved on a bit in equality between the sexes since I was grace's age, I added another level of challenge by making her Black. So another character says,"You can't be Peter Pan - he wasn't Black".
The success of this picture book, with its wonderful watercolours by Caroline Binch, has made me much better known - this is in spite of the fact that neither it nor its sequel won a British award. Caroline's work was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway medal, which is the illustrators equivalent to the Carnegie, but sadly did not win.
Mary Hoffman (right) pictured with Shay Youngblood,
who adapted Amazing Grace for the Children's Theatre Company production,
at the premiere, January 1995.
But Grace was taken to the hearts of the American public - the first book about
her has sold around a quarter of a million copies in the United States, and there
has been a play based on it in Minneapolis, a doll manufactured in San Francisco,
readings on TV and radio, a stills video, and talk of an animation.
All my books about Grace are published in the UK by Frances Lincoln, who do lots of multi-cultural books you might be interested in. You can find out more about them on their website.
Danika Allen, who played Grace in the Children's Theatre Company
production of Amazing Grace in Minneapolis.
Grace and Family (Boundless Grace in the USA)
In the first sequel to Amazing Grace, I added a father, and - most excitingly - had my first trip to Africa! You can read all about it here.
Princess Grace
In 2007, We changed illustrators from Caroline Binch to Cornelius van Wright and Ying-hwa Hu. Caroline had run out of reference photos for Grace and Cornelius and his wife had already illustrated An Angel Just Like Me, so were an obvious choice to take on the task.
In Princess Grace, Grace has the chance to be a princess in a school parade. But what does a princess do, apart from wearing beautiful clothes and looking pretty? Does she have to be pink and floaty, with a crown? Grace and her friends start finding out about princesses in China, Egypt, the Philippines and Zimbabwe - and on the day of the parade, helped by Ma and Nana, Grace's school has the most interesting float of all.
At the time of its publication, I wrote an article for the Guardian about “pinkness” and the pervasiveness of princess images for young girls.
Grace at Christmas
Grace at Christmas, is the latest picturebook about Grace, illustrated by Cornelius van Wright and Ying-hwa Hu.
Grace at Christmas was published by Frances Lincoln in September 2011 in preparation for the Twentieth Anniversary of Amazing Grace just before Christmas! It has had nice reviews on both sides of the Atlantic, like this one from Publishers Weekly. You can find out more on the microsite.
Hoffman writes with such confidence here. She knows Grace and her family so well that the stories are sure footed and adept. (read whole review)
Waking Brain Cells
What a treat it is to see Grace’s buoyant smile beaming confidently from a book jacket once more. (read whole review)
Books for Keeps
All of our favourite Grace characters in one book, wrapped up in a charming Christmas narrative. Fantastic festive cheer from the author of a modern classic.
Letterbox Library
Titles
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from Amazon (hbk)
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Published in the US by Dial Books |
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Published in the US by Dial Books |
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Published in the US by Dial Books as Boundless Grace |
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Published in the US by Dial Books Dual Language Editions: |
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Grace at Christmas Reviews
Amazing Grace
Grace's story is a stunningly simple yet subtle exploration of how a child's transcendent imagination sees to the heart of story: Hiawatha or the Tale of Troy are not about race or gender, therefore race and gender are immaterial. Grace wants to be Peter Pan in the school play but classmates say she can't be because she's a girl and she's black. Ma is angry but Nana knows that Grace can succeed if she wants to. Grace shines at the auditions and gets the part. The play with its colour-blind casting is a triumph. The vibrant, nuanced illustrations complement the spare text perfectly.
Gill Vickery, author, teacher, former librarian
Gorgeous water colour illustrations portraying a determined talented child and her warm family enhance an excellent text and positive message of self-affirmation. Grace is an amazing girl and this is an amazing book.”
School Library Journal, 1991
The writing is beautifully paced, straightforward and sensitive without being sentimental.
Books for young children, 1991
Because it deals with sexism and racism with very young children, it offers a valuable starting point for classroom discussion of unacceptable behaviour.
The Bookseller, 1993
A richly illustrated story that tackles stereotypes sensitively and intelligently.
The Good Book Guide, 1997
It’s one of those simple, yet profoundly moving, stories that confronts sexism and racism, accepts they exist, and transcends them through a child’s honesty, humour, imagination and hope.
The Times, 2003
Grace and Family
Mary Hoffman has written a poignant story of a young girl’s attempts to come to terms with a broken family… Hoffman does not makle any attempt to romanticise Grace’s predicament, her journey to Africa or her newfound relationship with her father. She does not try to resolve the irresolvable, but this is a story that makes the complexities of modern family relationships acceptable and meaningful to children.
TES, 1995
... the book brims with authenticity.
Sunday Telegraph, 1995
Hoffman has once again imbued her story with an abundance of familial understanding.
Publisher’s Weekly, 1995
This is a book which will appeal to children right across the primary age range, especially those who are not part of a ‘story book family’. It will help them to see that families are simply ‘what you make them’.
School Librarian, 1995
Grace and Family glows with a magic all its own.
Junior Education, 1995
Starring Grace
This book is a celebration of family and friendship, and of children’s resourcefulness in creating other worlds using imagination and a few simple props… A warm, thoroughly enjoyable book for children of primary age, who will no doubt recognise some of their own fantasies; the stories would also be delightful to read aloud.
School Librarian, 2000
This story is a celebration of childhood at its best and since it reflects multicultural contemporary Britain it will be the ideal book top promote positive images of ethnic groups. Highly recommended.
Book Trust, 2000
Hoffman and Binch have successfully transferred Grace out of picture books, working some of the themes into greaterv depth while maintaining sparkle and pace.
TES Primary, 2000
Encore, Grace
Grace, of Amazing Grace fame, is back in another book about her life at home and school. Her friends, ambitions and preoccupations are brought brilliantly to life by Mary Hoffman, who understands the workings of all the relationships in a child’s universe.
Adele Geras, TES, 2003
Bravo, Grace
As always with the books about this strong young girl, the real drama is in the reworking of the traditional fairytales on stage and in her personal life. The book… demonstrates in both pictures and text, that there are plenty of new, [positive roles and opportunities in today’s diverse families.
Booklist, 2005
Grace is still the adventurous one, the ones who speaks out, who we’ve liked all along.
Chicago Tribune, 2005
Princess Grace
Nikki Gamble recently interviewed me about Amazing Grace and my other books about Grace. You can read the interview on the Write Away website.
Grace is handled with such deftness and humour that Princess Grace will find its way into every heart.
Amanda Craig in the Times.
Read the whole review here
This new title from the exceptional Mary Hoffman deals with racism and sexism in a positive way.
The Bookseller Back to School Preview 8.6.07
Mary Hoffman's Princess Grace is the perfect antidote to the never-ending stream of pink princesses ... How refreshing
Nikki Gamble The Bookseller 20.7.07
Other multicultural picturebooks
The Great Big Book of Families
The Colour of Home
An Angel Just Like Me
Three Wise Women
Clever Katya
Nancy No-size
See also Myths & Legends