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Covered-Up History
Glow Power follows a boy who travels back in time after being trapped in an elevator and witnesses Greenwood before the Tulsa Race Massacre and then the terror of its destruction. What inspired you to blend fantasy and historical fiction?
I have always had a wild imagination and loved storytelling since I was a little girl. Combining fantasy with history brings new possibilities and original thinking into community stories. It allows for creativity in ways that “go there” to raise awareness through world-building narration. Blending fantasy with historical fiction allows authors to create realities about history that center the people most affected. The point is to understand what could have been, how it could be better, and use this strategy to layer in hope and promise into stories; specifically in Glow Power, Jake and Teyanna build a robust friendship that becomes lifelong and that takes their witnessing Greenwood before the massacre and afterward, into an action led movement that’s anti racist and that transforms global crisis into healthier realities.
How did you develop Jake’s emotional responses so that they would feel authentic and relatable to young readers?
My son is a similar age to Jake, and he was my sounding board. I tried my best to get into a child’s mind. Originally, Jake was too idealistic and not as relatable, but working with my son, several children, and my critique group, I worked to make Jake’s emotional responses feel authentic and relatable. Thus, Jake transitions from who he used to be and the high expectations others had of him to eventually become the relatable Guardian Jake. Readers see how he got to this stage, starting with his authentic self morphing into a Cardinal Avatar and enjoying being able to fly and heal others. Once he gets back to the elevator and loses his superpowers, young readers relate to not having superpowers they wish they had and realizing that who they are is plenty.
What does the cardinal symbolize within the story?
This is a good question. The cardinal is Jake’s favorite bird, and it symbolizes possibility. Cardinals are believed to deliver messages from departed loved ones. In Glow Power, it is never directly relayed that Teyanna is the only one from all of the Dunbar kids Jake met who passes away. Teyanna is the only one that comes back to life, first through glows that tap into Jake’s peaceful and caring potential, activating his Cardinal Avatar and superpower features. In turn, he seeps life back into her as a cardinal known for being courageous, passionate, spiritual, committed, harmonious, and of course loving.
The cardinal in this story symbolizes a new beginning for Teyanna, Jake, Abuelita, and all those who will work to ensure peace. The cardinal also symbolizes the spiritual confirmation that they are on the right path as Guardians of a Transforming World.
What do you hope young readers understand about history after finishing the book?
Glow Power confronts the covered-up history of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 so that young readers are led by values and are informed of better, peaceful ways to live. This book is a loving account that shows possibility and an actionable roadmap toward a better world. That is, readers will understand the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre that could have been prevented and tap into these lessons so that the future can become a more peace-loving world, connecting to Black, Red, and Bronze Excellence and Achievement. After finishing the book, the history of a strong and prosperous Black Wall Street will have been exposed so that people of color are valued and their contributions recognized.
Glow Power: Unlocking Healing and Transformation
Glow Power, by Jacqueline Lopez and Joy Peyton, follows Jake, a boy who gets trapped in an elevator, transforms into a Cardinal Avatar, and travels back to 1921 Tulsa, where he witnesses the beauty of Greenwood before the Tulsa Race Massacre and then the terror of its destruction. Through his bond with Teyanna and the other Dunbar children, Jake learns that history is not just something to study for school, but something to feel, grieve, honor, and carry forward through love, justice, and daily acts of healing.
I found this book brave in both its ambition and its tenderness. It takes on an enormously painful part of American history, but it doesn’t begin with tragedy. It first lets children see Greenwood as alive, intelligent, joyful, and full of promise. That choice mattered to me. The writing can be breathless and emotionally packed, but there’s a childlike urgency to it that fits Jake’s experience. I could feel his confusion, his wonder, his nausea, his hope. The story doesn’t always move quietly, but it does move with a big, open heart.
The artwork gives the book a vivid, animated energy that children will connect with right away. Jake’s cardinal form is bright and expressive, and Teyanna’s glow brings a softness that balances the darker moments. I especially appreciated the contrast between the warm, playful scenes of friendship and planting seeds and the later images of smoke, fear, and loss. The ideas are powerful, sometimes overwhelming: forgiveness, anti-racism, memory, activism, and the belief that children can become “guardians” of a more loving world. The strongest parts were often the simplest ones: children reading, playing, touching Jake’s wings, planting together, and being allowed to matter.
I came away moved by the book’s sincerity and its insistence that children deserve honest stories about history, not softened ones that leave out pain. Glow Power is a heartfelt, imaginative, and deeply purposeful picture book that would be is best for suited to older elementary readers, especially when read with a parent, teacher, or caregiver nearby to talk through the Tulsa Race Massacre, racism, grief, and healing. It’s a good fit for families and classrooms ready for a serious, compassionate conversation about history, empathy, and what it means to choose love with courage.
Pages: 63
