This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Georgia Children's Book Award. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Nevada Young Readers' Award. It also was recognised in the Illustrator category by the Coretta Scott King Award. Presented annually since 1970 by the American Library Association to books by African-America authors and illustrators, this award recognizes excellence in promoting a deeper understanding of the African-American Experience.

This book has been graded for interest at 4-8 years.

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 1998 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers .

Dianna Hutts Aston is the author of several picture books. She lives in Texas with her husband and two children. E. B. Lewis has illustrated more than 30 books and is a former winner of the Coretta Scott King Medal. He lives in New Jersey, USA.