Eloise Greenfield's THE WOMEN WHO CAUGHT THE BABIES received this starred review in Booklist

We were pleased to see this very stirring starred review of THE WOMEN WHO CAUGHT THE BABIES: A STORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MIDWIVES (Alazar), written by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Daniel Minter, in the September 1, 2019 issue of Booklist:

Through words and images, this unusual book of verse celebrates the long tradition of African American midwives guiding babies into the world "with gentle, loving hands." The book opens with Greenfield's prose introduction to midwives' work, their education, and their sense of dedication to a calling. The first poem, "The Women," sets the tone: "They caught the babies, / and catch them still, / welcome them into the world, / for loving." Other poems are set during the voyage to America, in the period shortly after emancipation, in the early 1900s, and the early 2000s. "The Women" appears again with a different illustration, followed by "Miss Rovenia Mayo," a poem of remembrance for the midwife who welcomed Eloise Greenfield into the world. A source bibliography is appended. While well-chosen archival photos accompany the book's introduction and final poem, Minter's full-page paintings beautifully illustrate most of the verse. Strong and graceful, the images feature deep, rich colors brightened with white netlike forms created with repeated motifs and vibrant images evocative of the natural world: the ocean, sea-foam, fishes, birds, branches, leaves, blossoms, fruits, and new life waiting to be born. A unique, moving tribute to the women who caught the babies and continue to do so today.