Schmidt seemingly effortlessly switches in and out of the voices of his characters without missing a beat. Whether he is writing the thoughts and language of a twelve-year-old boy in the American 1960s, or the complaints of a German Jew running from the Nazis, or the self-assured confidence of a Black American girl of the early 1900s, each character sounds authentic and beautifully right. Just as importantly, Schmidt never loses his ability to convey complex and powerful ideas through the vernacular of his protagonists.
Knowing that full well, I was surprised nonetheless by his incredible voice change in the hauntingly beautiful picture book biography of Sojourner Truth, So Tall Within. This gripping story reads like epic poetry told through the voice of a Black American slave. He demands that we see her strength and her courage through her commanding voice and the undulating rhythm with which the story is told.