FREE: Jumping the Broom by Sonia W Black

Its an early reading book for children
From Amazon:
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Wright captures a moment of joy and jubilation in the life of a slave community as they celebrate a marriage, traditionally known as "jumping the broom." The story is revealed through the eyes of eight-year-old Lettie, who is looking forward to her sister's wedding. The women sew and cook while the men with carpentry skills make things for the cabin-baskets, wooden spoons, tables, and three-legged stools. Smiles, good feelings, and food are abundant. This fictional depiction of slave life is quite different from what readers may be accustomed to reading. Major accounts accentuate the extreme harshness or project docile images of black workers. Wright, however, introduces children to the spirit of a people attempting to hold on to the richness of cultural values and a sense of tradition. The slaves in this community see themselves as human beings, in spite of the condition they find themselves in. There is no doubt that slavery as practiced in North America was a cruel and dehumanizing institution. However, this collaboration of text and soft delicate watercolors paints perhaps the peace found in a strong spiritual connection for Africans who knew who they really were.
Barbara Osborne Williams, Queens Borough Public Library, Jamaica, NY