FREEDOM'S A CALLIN ME by Ntozake Shange with illustrations by Rod Brown (Amistad 2012) is a collection of poems Shange wrote in response to Brown's paintings. They tell the story of slaves who are longing for freedom, for escape from the harsh reality of their lives. The poems begin in the fields and move slowly along the Underground Railroad and, ultimately, to freedom. Beatings, being hunted by dogs, running away, losing family: Shange and Brown do not shy away from the difficult truths. <76>