The Dreamkeepers

This graphic novel is a beautiful reimagining of the classic text about reaching and teaching African American children.

The Dreamkeepers has been a perennial favorite with teachers and programs of teacher education for over 30 years. Like the original work, this comics version blends scholarship and storytelling to document the practices of eight exemplary teachers who use culturally relevant and intellectually rigorous teaching to foster academic excellence among African American students. Readers will follow Nissa, a young student teacher beginning her placement at Pinewood School. As she observes and experiments with the methods of the eight teachers, Nissa not only grows in her craft but also learns to embrace her identity as a neurodivergent young woman. Her journey highlights the power of culturally relevant pedagogy while modeling how educators can form meaningful connections with all their students.
This visually engaging graphic edition of the classic bestseller by distinguished professor Gloria Ladson-Billings offers an inspiring and accessible entry point for educators of all backgrounds.

Book Features:

• Case studies and key themes are brought to life by the dynamic drawings of Rachel Branham, author of “What’s So Great About Art, Anyway?” A Teacher’s Odyssey.
• Depictions of what can be learned from successful teachers about teaching all children, especially African American students.
• An exploration of why human relationships must be at the center of meaningful educational experiences that aim to overcome racist and unjust societal structures.

Gloria Ladson-Billings is professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and president of the National Academy of Education (2018–2021). Her books include Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Asking a Different Question. Rachel Branham is an educator, artist, and author of “What’s So Great About Art, Anyway?” A Teacher’s Odyssey.

“For several decades, The Dreamkeepers has been the most trusted reference for teachers aiming to become successful with their African American students. Now, in an innovative and powerful new version of that classic text, Gloria Ladson-Billings joins hands with the comics artist Rachel Branham to create a dazzling entryway into the themes and foundational ideas from the original. Teachers will be simultaneously challenged and nourished in these pages as they dive into the ethical heart of good teaching.”
—William Ayers, retired professor, activist, and author of To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher

“This arts-based rendering of The Dreamkeepers brings life and breath to culturally relevant pedagogy in ways never experienced before. The storyline is simple, yet dynamic, illustrating what it looks like to witness and consider the lives and communities of learners when we teach. I encourage educators in every discipline and every setting to engage with this clever, witty visual embodiment of Ladson-Billings’s original work.”
—Joni Boyd Acuff, visual artist, art educator, teacher educator