Shana Keller does a beautiful job of weaving together a nonfiction narrative that allows readers a glimpse into the early life of Fredrick Douglass. The illustrations by Kayla Stark capture the historic period and draw readers into the story. Her use of color and detail creates beautiful images. This is a perfect book for any historical unit or celebration of Black History Month. --Picture Books for Learning

Another wonderful picture book to add to your personal collection. Kindergarten through 4th grade teachers should add it to their classroom libraries and use it during Black History Month. --Carol Baldwin's Blog

Fascinating, motivational, and brimming with tenacity, this true story of Frederick Douglass as a young boy is certain to captivate young and old alike. --Kendal Rautzhan (syndicated columnist)

Frederick Douglass knew where he was born but not when. He knew his grandmother but not his father. And as a young child, there were other questions, such as Why am I a slave? Answers to those questions might have eluded him but Douglass did know for certain that learning to read and to write would be the first step in his quest for freedom and his fight for equality. Told from first-person perspective, this picture-book biography draws from the real-life experiences of a young Frederick Douglass and his attempts to learn how to read and write. Author Shana Keller (Ticktock Banneker's Clock) personalizes the text for young readers, using some of Douglass's own words. The lyrical title comes from how Douglass "paid" other children to teach him.

Shana Keller grew up a middle child in Middle America wondering exactly how clouds stayed in the air. She's traveled all over the country and some parts of Europe with her family and moved too many times to count. She's settled in Pittsburgh for now, a city built just for kids and one she finds inspiring.

One of her favorite quotes is from Benjamin Banneker: "Every day is an adventure in learning." She graduated from the University of Miami, Florida, with a degree in Communications, and from UCLA's screenwriting program, and she took a course in songwriting from Berklee College of Music. Her goal is to never stop learning.