Angela Johnson

Who is Angela Johnson?

Angela Johnson is an American poet and writer of children's books, with over 40 books to her credit since beginning her writing career in 1989. Her children's picture books are simple yet poetic stories about African-American families, friendships, and common childhood experiences such as moving. Her books for older children revolve around similar themes but also explore deeper issues such as teen pregnancy and divorce. In all, the characters are realistic and the treatment sensitive, positive, and hopeful. Many of Johnson's books have Alabama connections and several treat Alabama history, as do her picture books A Sweet Smell of Roses about the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965 and Wind Flyers about the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as her collection of lyrical poems The Other Side: Shorter Poems, which evoke Shorter, Alabama.