“A powerful grouping of thought-provoking poems and brilliantly designed paintings.” ― Kirkus Reviews  (STARRED REVIEW) "This ambitious work offers a bit of poetry, history, folk art, quilting, religion and more. It will definitely fill a niche in libraries."  ― School Library Journal  (STARRED REVIEW) A moving, memorable poetry collection shaped around expressive quilt patterns and the stories of enslaved people in America. This rich and intricate collection of poems from author Cynthia Grady chronicles the various experiences of enslaved people in the United States. Named for traditional quilt block patterns like Log Cabin, Cotton Boll, and Schoolhouse, each poem―ten lines of ten syllables each―mimics the square shape of a quilt block.  Readers experience slavery in America through fourteen different perspectives, including a woman humming “Gilead” as she quilts, a mother losing her daughter to the auction, a child discovering the freedom of learning, and a young man fleeing on the Underground Railroad. Brought to life by vivid, expressive artwork from Michele Wood, this stirring and eloquent book offers a timeless witness to the hardship endured by enslaved men, women, and children. Each poem is supplemented by historical information and notes on quilting, musical, and spiritual references in the text. Kirkus - Starred review Enslaved African-Americans voice the weariness, drudgery, agony and dreams of their lives in a beautiful and informative collection of poetry and paintings. In her debut title, Grady structures free verse to mirror the patterns of traditional American quilt blocks, variations on a square. In the poems, each 10 lines with 10 syllables per line, the words and thoughts read seamlessly and build to heart-rending finales. They speak of daily lives made bearable by the words of a preacher, the joys of singing and the quiet rhythms of stitching. A woman bent over her basket of scraps can see her “troubles fall / away.” A man calming a horse can find a “patchwork field of freedom.” Children outside a school building scratch out the alphabet because “[i]t gives us hope; it sings us home.” Each poem is accompanied by brief background information on slavery and on the quilt-block pattern that inspired it. Full-page paintings by Wood, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner, pulsate with vibrant colors and intensity. Each incorporates the quilt pattern that served as Grady’s inspiration into a collage-styled portrait. Readers will find themselves poring over the many details in the art and connecting them with the verses. A powerful grouping of thought-provoking poems and brilliantly designed paintings. (author’s note, illustrator’s note, bibliography) (Poetry. 10 & up) Washington Parent: In this stunning collection of 14 poems, local author and quilt maker Cynthia Grady conveys the hardships and hopes of enslaved African-Americans. She gives each poem a 10-line, 10-syllable structure to “mimic the square shape of a quilt block,” and artist Michele Wood weaves specific quilt patterns into her depictions of the hard-working children, bereft parents, escaped slaves, horse trainers and musicians who voice the poems. The result is breathtaking, with a poem’s powerful imagery often echoed in the accompanying stylized illustration. For example, the “greedy wheels” of the overseer’s wagon and the grief of a father whose “baby girl” is being sold find visual expression in a picture as spare and heart wrenching as Picasso’s “Guernica.” - Horn Book - "Altogether, a stunning achievement . . . ." School Library Journal - Starred review "This ambitious work offers a bit of poetry, history, folk art, quilting, religion and more. It will definitely fill a niche in libraries." I wrote the poems for this book while designing a quilt for use in teaching middle schoolers how to piece their own quilt blocks. Cynthia Grady is a poet and a librarian at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. I Lay My Stiches Down is her first published book. Visit her website at cynthiagrady.com.