* * * C H I L D R E N' S B O O K S * 2 0 2 4 B A U M A N R A R E B O O K S 25 INSCRIBED BY ARTIST FAITH RINGGOLD 25. RINGGOLD, Faith. Bonjour, Lonnie. New York, 1996. Oblong quarto, original pictorial laminated paper boards, dust jacket. $350 First edition of Ringgold’s evocative children’s book about an African American orphan living in France—her “lush, deeply imagined paintings… will tug at anyone who has seen—or wants to see—Paris”—boldly inscribed by her in black felt pen, “To B— G— Faith Ringgold.” Harlem-born artist Ringgold uses the images in her paintings, quilts and award-winning children’s books “as often to uplift as critique… in bright, bold and inviting ways” (New York Times). “In this fantastical, sweeping picture book, she reintroduces a character from Dinner at Aunt Connie’s (1993) in order to chronicle some pivotal moments in African American history.” Here the young Lonnie, who lives in a Paris orphanage, “is visited one night by a magical Love Bird who inspires him to ‘look everywhere’ for his loved ones. On his surreal search, Lonnie combs the streets and sights of Paris, even speaking to the Mona Lisa inside the Louvre. The journey changes course when he encounters the spirits of his deceased grandparents and parents. They explain both his mixed racial heritage and, more broadly, Black Americans’ contributions to the arts (e.g., the Harlem Renaissance) and to the Allies’ victories in the two World Wars. With an emphasis on acceptance and love, Ringgold’s text illustrates that families can come in all kinds of configurations” (Publishers Weekly). Ringgold’s “lush, deeply imagined paintings… will tug at anyone who has seen— or wants to see—Paris; their intense colors, stylized figures, and beautiful use of pattern draw the viewers in again and again” (Kirkus). First edition, first printing: with publisher’s gold label on front dust jacket panel. Faint creasing to front board and dust jacket. A fine inscribed copy.
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