Worthy: The Brave and Capable Life of Joseph Pierce

Enslaved as a child to a white American sea captain, a Chinese youth seeking to prove himself “worthy” must eventually grapple with whether “America was worthy of him” in this extended picture book biography from Wang (Watercress). Though his name has been lost to history, the boy (1842–1916), called Joe by the captain and crew, is taken from Canton, China, aboard a ship transporting enslaved Chinese men to sugar plantations in Cuba. On the ship, Joe learns to cook, delivers messages, and “tried to prove that he could do more than cut sugarcane.” Upon landing, the captain takes Joe home to his Connecticut farm, where the boy is renamed Joseph Pierce and “almost” treated like a member of the family. He attends school and labors on the farm before enlisting to fight in the Civil War, seeking to both “prove his worth” and become a U.S. citizen. In sweeping landscapes and visually detailed group scenes, debut illustrator Vang’s digitally finished acrylic paintings vividly re-create the time period in this history of a man facing “hardship with courage, integrity, and dignity”—a work that recognizes each person’s inherent worth. Back matter includes a timeline and author’s note. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Aug.)