SmallGirl Toni and the Quest for Gol..., Giselle Anatol
SmallGirl Toni and the Quest for Gol..., Giselle Anatol
List: $5.00 | Sale: $3.50
Club: $2.50

Small-Girl Toni and the Quest for Gold

Author: Giselle Anatol

Narrator: Bahni Turpin

Unabridged: 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/31/2026

Synopsis

A tall tale inspired by the life and works of Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison.

Young Toni knows that her stories are going to change the world. She's good at spinning a yarn, and in fact, she thinks she might be able to spin her stories into gold if she tries hard enough. Maybe her stories can even lead her to buried treasure?
    And so Toni sets out on a quest for gold with her siblings, telling tales and looking for a little magic at every turn. But when her quest doesn't go quite as planned, Toni realizes that it's all about how you tell a story in order to find the perfect ending.
    Literary scholar Giselle Anatol and Coretta Scott King honoree Raissa Figueroa have crafted a wholly original tale inspired by the life and works of Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Small-Girl Toni and the Quest for Gold honors one of America's most important writers and is a testament to the power of storytelling.

About The Author

Giselle Anatol is a professor of English at the University of Kansas. She teaches courses on children's literature, Caribbean literature, and literature of the African diaspora. This is her first picture book. She lives in Kansas City, MO. Her favorite book by Toni Morrison is The Big Box.Raissa Figueroa is the illustrator of several picture books, including We Wait for the Sun, which received a Coretta Scott King Honor Award as well as four starred reviews. She is also the illustrator of the Oona books by Kelly DiPucchio. She lives outside of San Diego.Visit her online at RizzyFig.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @RizzyFig.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Christie on March 02, 2024

The topsy turvy world of Toni Morrison's childhood adventures in which she, with her wild imagination, told stories "worth their weight in gold." Toni takes her neighborhood friends on one of her adventures to Ms. Solomon's house where in the yard she's sure pirates dumped their doubloons of gold an......more

Goodreads review by Thomas on February 25, 2024

Okay I guess. But the author purposes to make a story based on a true person and gives us this fictional "it could have maybe happened" made-up story from the protagonist's childhood. I would much rather read about some things that actually did happen.......more

Goodreads review by Panda on December 30, 2023

This picture book will mainly appeal to adult fans of Toni Morrison, and it feels random and confusing without prior knowledge and context. The author's note explains all of the references to Morrison's work throughout this story, but I don't think that the picture book is very effective as a standa......more

Goodreads review by Caroline on January 31, 2024

This is a charming and joyful fictionalized biography. I really liked the substance of this book. The illustrations are light filled and happy. The story is fun and I like the Easter eggs to Toni Morrison novels. But for some reason the book design was really killing me and I struggled to love this......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on September 09, 2025

Gisele Anatol tells a wonderful story of Tony Morrison as a young girl. Toni knows her stories are going to change the world. She also realizes that it’s all about HOW you tell a story in order find the perfect ending. This how Toni was able to turn stories into gold.......more

Quotes

★ "A charming tale in tribute to the life and imagination of storytelling powerhouse Toni Morrison. . . . Glowing and overflowing with the legacy of the author who inspired it." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Vibrant and joyous. The picture book is successful as an ode to Morrison and as a message of creativity, community, and hope." —School Library Journal

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List