This is What Maisie Believes

by Dr. Valerie Joseph
illustrated by Michael LaRiccia

This is What Maisie Believes is a book that features the voice of Maisie—a thoughtful, energetic, happy and deeply spiritual little girl. Maisie describes her relationship with God through a series of matter-of-fact and simple declarations. Maisie’s understandings about God are incontrovertible, clear and to the point. She is infused with love, joy and acceptance for who she is, who God is, and for her African heritage. Maisie has an incipient sense of racial subjection and its internalization and has a strong belief that people’s absorption of God’s fundamental precept of love will ameliorate even the most virulent hatred.

This beautifully illustrated book is designed for children aged 6 and up, however, its messages of affirmation will find resonance in people of all ages. Amplifying Maisie’s statements are Adinkra symbols—representations of spiritual and cultural values from the Akan peoples of West Africa.

Ages 6 and Up

Dr. Valerie Joseph, Ph.D. is the Director and Owner of Grounded Space Consulting and Smith College AEMES Mentoring Administrative Director. She is a fearless approacher of interesting strangers, a bemused receiver of unsolicited secrets, a generous appreciator of unusual and usual stories. She loves to have conversations with all kinds of people and is insatiably curious about who we are as human beings and why we do what we do. Dr. Joseph follows closely the worlds of social justice, mediation, movement therapy, anthropology, African and Caribbean Diasporic studies, and Critical Race Theory.

She is a friend of MATTER and we are grateful to know her and share her storytelling with our community.