Mae Makes a Way, Olugbemisola RhudayPerkovich
Mae Makes a Way, Olugbemisola RhudayPerkovich
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Mae Makes a Way
The True Story of Mae Reeves, Hat & History Maker

Author: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Narrator: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Unabridged: 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/24/2022


Synopsis

Tip your hat to fashion designer and civil rights icon Mae Reeves in this picture book biography written in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture!

"A fine introduction to a determined trailblazer." -The New York Times
 
Mae had a dream to make one-of-a-kind hats. But the path for a Black female designer was unclear, so Mae made a way, leaving her home in the segregated South to study at the Chicago School of Millinery.
 
Mae had the skills, but craved the independence to create her own styles. So Mae found a way. In Philadelphia, she became the first Black woman to own a business on South Street. Whether you were Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson or a lady from the neighborhood, Mae wanted you to look good and feel special in one of her original hats. 
 
A mother, a successful entrepreneur, and a community advocate, Mae led the way.
 
Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, acclaimed author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Two Naomis) and award-winning illustrator Andrea Pippins (I Love My Hair) bring the life of fashion entrepreneur and civic organizer Mae Reeves to the page. And when you are done reading, explore Mae’s store and styles in person at her permanent exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

About The Author

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of Operation Sisterhood, 8th Grade Superzero, and the nonfiction books Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow, Someday Is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins, and Saving Earth: The Climate Crisis and the Fight for Our Future. She is the coauthor of the middle-grade novel Two Naomis, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and its sequel, Naomis Too. Olugbemisola is a member of the Brown Bookshelf and a former board member of We Need Diverse Books. She lives with her family in New York City, where she writes, makes things, and needs to get more sleep. You can find her online at olugbemisolabooks.com.Andrea Pippins is an illustrator and author with a passion for creating images that reflect what she wants to see in art, media, and design. Her work has been featured in Essence, the New York Times, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She has produced artwork for brands such as ESPN, Five Below, Instagram, Sephora, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Malala Fund, Nick Jr., USPS, and VH1. Andrea is the author of Who Will You Be? a look at the life of a boy and the people in his community who shape him; Becoming Me, an interactive journal for young women to color, doodle, and brainstorm their way to a creative life; and We Inspire Me, a collection of essays, interviews, and advice on cultivating and empowering one's own creative community. She also illustrated Young Gifted and Black, Step into Your Power, and Big Ideas for Young Thinkers. Learn more about Andrea on her website andreapippins.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jill on February 16, 2023

Mae Reeves was born in 1912 in Vidalia, Georgia. When Mae was a little girl, although outright slavery was now banned, the effort to maintain white race-based hegemony was still in full force. “Jim Crow” laws taking rights away from Blacks were enacted in one state of the South after another. The Kl......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on May 31, 2022

This introduction to a groundbreaker and history maker whose story will inspire young readers is a 3.5 for me. Talented milliner and civil rights activist, Mae Reeves faced and overcame many challenges on her way to becoming a successful Black businesswoman. Not only did she help rear her siblings a......more

Goodreads review by Panda on June 22, 2022

This picture book biography celebrates a Black woman whose work is part of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mae Reeves made hats for clients of different races, was a very successful entrepreneur, made a difference in her community, and was a loving, involved......more

Goodreads review by Read on June 14, 2022

In Mae Makes a Way, author Rhuday-Perk0ovich successfully captures the picture book biography by telling the life story of Mae Reeves -- an African American successful businesswoman that is probably known by few but needs to be known by many. Her rise in the business world as a successful hat maker......more

Goodreads review by Larisha on February 26, 2023

Tells the story of a significant figure in our country’s history. Reeves was a successful milliner, civic organizer, and Black business owner in a time when these accomplishments were more difficult than they are now. Items from Reeve’s millinery shop including many of her stunning hats are on displ......more


Quotes

"A fine introduction to a determined trailblazer." —The New York Times

"A vital piece of literature that documents an amazing woman who continuously persevered despite racial disparities.” —Booklist