Step Right Up

How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness
By Donna Janell Bowman, Daniel Minter
Hardcover: $21.95

A biography of William “Doc” Key, a formerly enslaved man and self-trained veterinarian who taught his horse, Jim, to read, write, and do math, and who together with Jim became a famous traveling performance act and proponent for the humane treatment of animals around the turn of the twentieth century.

Description

William “Doc” Key had a special way with animals. Growing up enslaved in Tennessee, Doc was sent to plantations around the state to care for sick and wounded animals. When the Civil War ended and Doc was freed, he began to dream of breeding a winning racehorse. But those dreams were dashed when his colt was born weak and sickly. Although many people would have euthanized the colt, Doc nursed him back to health and named him Jim.

Noticing a level of curiosity and eagerness in the horse, Doc began teaching Beautiful Jim Key first to recognize letters, then to read, write, add, subtract, and more. Doc soon took his talented horse on the road, spreading a message of patience and kindness, over cruelty, to all animals.

With striking illustrations by Daniel Minter, Step Right Up is the inspiring story of one man and one horse who showed the world the power of kindness.

This biography explores Common Core English Language Arts Standards and Social Studies Standards.

About the Creators

Donna Janell Bowman

Donna Janell Bowman grew up on a quarter horse ranch where she trained for horse shows and developed her passion for writing. When she first heard about Doc and Jim Key, Bowman was skeptical about Jim’s "education." But after doing her own research, she was inspired to share Doc and Jim’s fascinating story with young readers. Bowman lives in Texas with her family and their rescue animals. This is her debut book.

Daniel Minter

Daniel Minter is the illustrator of several award-winning picture books. He is also an adjunct instructor of art at the Maine College of Art. Minter finds inspiration for his work from observing the natural world and thinking about history and science. He is the founding director of Maine Freedom Trails, an organization dedicated to identifying sites related to the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement. Minter lives with his family in Portland, Maine.

Awards

  • Texas Bluebonnet Award Shortlist

    Texas Library Association (TLA)

  • Junior Library Guild Selection

    Junior Library Guild

  • ALSC Notable Children's Books

    American Library Association (ALA)

  • Editors' Choice

    Booklist

  • Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Recommended

    National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

  • Prairie Pasque Children's Book Award Nominee

    South Dakota Library Association

  • William Allen White Children's Book Award

    Emporia State University

Reviews

  • * "An incredible story that ought to be widely known--a must-read."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • * "This beautiful, picture-book homage to Doc and Jim is nothing short of enthralling."

    - Booklist
  • * "Born into slavery, William "Doc" Key drew national attention at the end of the 19th century for his training of a purebred Arabian horse, eventually known as Beautiful Jim Key, teaching the animal how to "combine letters to spell words, choose numbers to make sums, find flags to identify states, move clock hands to tell time, and a whole lot more." Themes of racial injustice and the harsh treatment of animals offer a poignant supplement to the main narrative ("Kindness, kindness, and more kindness, that's the way," was how Doc Key described his success with Jim), which has another sturdy complement in Minter's (Ellen's Broom) bold linoleum block prints. Though debut author Bowman focuses on Doc's relationship with Jim, a substantial afterword will leave children eager to learn more about Doc Key's remarkable life, including his reluctant service work with Confederate forces during the Civil War and his efforts to free the enslaved."

    - Publishers Weekly

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781620141489
  • Publication Date Nov 01, 2016
  • Trim Size 10.75 × 9 in
  • Weight 1.125 lbs
  • Page Count 48
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Animals / Horses
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / Animals / Animal Welfare
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Animals, Biography / Memoir, Discrimination, Empathy / Compassion, Friendship, History & Civics, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Kindness / Caring, Nonfiction, Overcoming Obstacles, Persistence / Grit, Slavery
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 7 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 2 - 6
  • Guided Reading Q
  • ATOS Book Level 5.3
  • DRA 40
  • Interest Level Grades 2 - 6
  • Lexile Level 910
  • Reading Level 4
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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