Abiade, F. (2013). In daddy's arms I am tall: African Americans celebrating fathers. Lee & Low Books.
Overview
A collection of poems celebrating African-American fathers.
Evaluation
The poems are written by a variety of authors that focus on father figures specifically to African Americans. The poems vary in length from being three lines to several lines. The illustrations are colorful, vivid and suited to the poetry. The poems celebrate positive images of fathers as a whole and their influences on their children. Two of the poems that I liked were "Seeds" which explains how the seeds within him caused him to grow strong like a tree and "Artist to Artist" discusses a father giving up his dreams to provide for his family. I can relate to the poem "Promises" and think many can relate to the author's words. We don't always listen to our parents and do what they ask, but we know they still love us and will always be there for us. The back page gives information about each poet as well as explaining how the illustrations were made. This would be a great book to introduce poetry to the upper grades (3-5th).
Horn Book Guide starred (March, 1998)The son of the late illustrator John Steptoe has made a stunning debut in a collection of poetry honoring African-American fathers. Images created by using a variety of materials and art forms are often a perfect match for poems by such writers as Angela Johnson, Davida Adedjouma, and E. Ethelbert Miller. This title will be as at home in art classrooms as in language arts classes and libraries.
Kirkus Reviews (1997)
Steptoe (son of the late John Steptoe) creates art for 13 poems that honor fathers, e.g., Sonia Sanchez's "I have looked into/my father's eyes and seen an/african sunset." Among others who have contributed to the volume are Folami Abiade (with the title poem), Lenard D. Moore, Dakari Hru, and Dinah Johnson. At times, elements of the poets' subject matter are depicted--photographed pennies are the background for the portrait of one father. Some poems are better than others; some are more message than art, although all of them are appealing. A particularly memorable sentiment is found in Davida Adedjouma's "Artist to Artist," in which a woman appreciates that her artist father sorted mail "all night and into the day" for the family, and passed on to her the "urge to create/characters with meat on their bones, in flesh-colored tones written in words as vivid" as her crayon-box colors. Each piece elicits a work of art that translates beautifully to the printed page, from the jacket's gallery of small paintings to the half-title's portrait of a family--with smudged limbs and torsos, and heads made from painted discs or buttons--framed by colorful wooden heads. Brief biographies of the contributors appear in the back of this inventive, evocative book.
Andrews, T. (2015). Trombone shorty. Abrams Books for Young Readers.
Overview
New Orleans jazz musician Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews tells the story of how he got his nickname and his start in jazz music.
Evaluation
The author captures the essence of New Orleans music culture as well as Trombone Shorty. The illustrations are vivid and jump off the page. Children can relate to the character in the story by starting to play music at a very young age. Many themes can be covered throughout this text such as family support, encouragement, and dedication. Children can make connections, activate prior knowledge, and state the point of view the text is written in.
Booklist (March 15, 2015 (Vol. 111, No. 14))Grades 3-5. In this contemporary autobiography, Andrews pays tribute to the New Orleans neighborhood of Tremé and the culture and community that propelled him into becoming the Grammy Award–nominated musician he is today. Like other stories of artistic achievement, this is one of determination and passion. Young Troy, nicknamed Trombone Shorty by his brother, forms a band with his friends using homemade instruments, until one day Troy finds a real trombone to call his own. But this story breaks from the motif of individualism to recognize that family, community, mentors, and friends are always part of life’s journey. It reminds young readers—particularly boys of color—that they can follow their dreams and lean on people who will nurture and guide them. Andrews’ journey is perfectly complemented by Collier’s illustrations. Sharp panels of color and image, perspective that dips and soars, and layers of mixed-media collage unite to feel like renditions of brass band music itself. The author’s note fills in the gaps in the story and reaffirms the importance of people and place. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Trombone Shorty Foundation.
Horn Book Magazine (May/June, 2015)
In New Orleans parlance, “Where y’at?” means “hello.” As an opening greeting (repeated three times, creating a jazzy beat), it also signals the beginning of this conversational and personable autobiography. Andrews, a.k.a. Trombone Shorty, concentrates on his younger years: growing up in Treme, a neighborhood of New Orleans known for its close-knit community and commitment to music; making his own instruments before acquiring and learning to play the trombone; practicing constantly; appearing onstage with Bo Diddley; and finally forming his own successful band. Collier’s expressive watercolor collages layer and texture each page, creating a mix of images that echo the combination of styles Andrews uses to create his own “musical gumbo.” Strong vertical lines burst from his trombone like powerful sounds, while circular shapes float through the pages like background harmonies spilling out of homes and businesses. Hot colors reflect the New Orleans climate, while serene blues are as cool as the music Trombone Shorty produces. An author’s note adds detail to the text; two accompanying photographs of Andrews as a child reinforce the story’s authenticity. Collier discusses his artistic symbolism in an illustrator’s note. Read this one aloud to capture the sounds and sights of Trombone Shorty’s New Orleans. betty carter
Cabrera, C. A. (2020). Me & mama. Menene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Overview
Mama's love is brighter than the sun, even on he rainiest of days. This celebration of a mother-daughter relationship is perfect for sharing with little ones!
Evaluation
A great story about the daily routines between a mother and daughter told from the little girl's perspective. Talks about the similarities the little girl has with her Mama, but also how they are different. This book leaves you longing to have that special bond with your own mother. The text is poetic and the illustrations are superb with beautiful details which helps the reader see things from a child's mind.
Booklist (July 2020 (Vol. 116, No. 21))Preschool-Grade 2. Lush acrylic hues of color wash every double-page spread while spare text describes the tender feelings a small Black child with curly, high-bunched pigtails has for her beautiful mother. Simple words express the little one’s emotions as she eagerly wakes up in the morning to enjoy their daily activities together. Throughout the pages there are comparisons between Mama’s and daughter’s familiar objects: Mama’s cup (big) and mine (little); Mama’s toothbrush and mine (“I get less toothpaste”); Mama’s boots (tall and red) and mine (short and yellow). Raining? “The perfect day for boots and puddles,” says Mama, with joyous depictions of the two singing and splashing in the wet outdoors as silvery drops fall. After a good day, there are pajamas, giggles, hugs, and kisses before bedtime. A gorgeous blue blackness envelops the girl's thoughts as she spins some pictures of her day with Mama and dreams of another tomorrow. Endpapers identify the 15 items, both large and small, that are shown in the story. A warm tribute to a special family relationship and comforting home.
Horn Book Magazine (January/February, 2021)
In the early morning, a young unnamed Black girl tiptoes through the house and past various sleeping family members, to be greeted by the smell of cinnamon and her mother's good-morning song. Even though the day is rainy, it's a wonderful time to "be everywhere Mama is." Throughout her day, the child makes clever observations about the similarities and differences between herself and her mother. While she has less toothpaste on her toothbrush, both she and Mama know to brush "round my teeth with little circles." As they prepare to go outside to take a nature walk, it's noted that "Mama's rain boots are / bigger than mine. / And they're red" -- however, both pairs make an excellent splash in puddles. The girl is also keen to acknowledge how she and her mother care for each other -- after her hair is combed, she returns the favor, accentuating her mom's thick curls with "the purply pink barrette...She calls it fuchsia." At the end of her day ("Our day is done earlier than / Mama and Papa's / It's just that way when you're growing"), mother and daughter read stories to each other. Drifting off to sleep, the young girl is content to dream, knowing "there'll be me and Mama." Celebrating the beautiful dark brown skin of the duo, and surrounded by various hues of blue, Cabrera's color-saturated illustrations, a mix of single pages and double-page spreads, add to the gentle charm of the conversational text. Large and small pairs of everyday objects appear on the endpapers, bolstering the celebration of the mother/daughter relationship. Eboni Njoku January/February 2021 p.69
Other Books Written by Cozbi A. Cabrera
My Hair is a Garden
Dillon, L. (2002). Rap a tap tap: here's bojangles-think of that! Blue Sky Press.
Overview
Evaluation
Every page has the lines, "Rap a tap tap -- think of that!" which is a great way to make the text interactive if using as a read aloud. The students could say that line after you read each page. The younger students will love the simple text while getting a little bit of history about a historical figure. The last page gives a brief history of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.
PreS-Gr. 2. Tap dancer Bill "Bojangles"Robinson will probably be someone new to young children, but this fancy-free introduction captures the ebullience of his dancing as well as the way he touched audiences. The spreads feature a bouncy text and eye-catching art, both of which tell something about Robinson. Each left-hand page pictures a different audience--families, uptown folks, people on the skids--who marvel at Robinson's tapping toes. Facing pages repeat the same refrain, "Rap a tap tap--think of that,"with pictures of Mr. Bojangles practically dancing off the edge of the page. The paintings have the effect of collage and employ strong city shapes, with bridges, buildings, and park benches pressed against feather-white backgrounds. But the art is at its most creative when it shows Bojangles'graceful taps, with shadow legs and feet seemingly moving in concert with the real steps he takes. An afterword amplifies the text, briefly introducing "the greatest tap dancer of all time,"who "talked with his feet."
Horn Book Guide (Spring, 2003)
The Dillons pay homage to American tap-dancer Bill Robinson and--in their color-blocked, silhouetted illustrations--to Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas. In each double-page spread, Bojangles's feet fairly dance off the page as he passes through a varied urban landscape. The rhyming text isn't quite as light on its feet, and the rhythm seems to trip over the refrain--"Rap a tap tap--think of that!"
Other Books Written by Leo Dillon
Jazz On A Saturday Night
Giovanni, N. (2007). Rosa. Square Fish.
Overview
Ovve
Includes fold-out pages. Presents an illustrated account of Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, and the subsequent bus boycott by the black community. The author writes an accurate depiction of Rosa Parks using biographical details from her life. Great biography book to cover character traits and changes, inferencing, summary, cause and effect, theme, and author's purpose. Evaluation
The illustrations are beautiful with the text being on one side of half the page with a solid color background that changes from page to page. Towards the end, there is a full page layout to open with the nonviolent movement walk in Montgomery.
Gr. 3-5. Far from the cliche of Rosa Parks as the tired little seamstress, this beautiful picture-book biography shows her as a strong woman, happy at home and at work, and politically aware ("not tired from work, but tired of . . . eating at separate lunch counters and learning at separate schools"). Her refusal to give up her seat on a bus inspires her friend Jo Ann Robinson, president of the Women's Political Council, and the 25 council members to make posters calling for the bus boycott, and they organize a mass meeting where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. speaks for them. Paired very effectively with Giovanni's passionate, direct words, Collier's large watercolor-and-collage illustrations depict Parks as an inspiring force that radiates golden light, and also as part of a dynamic activist community. In the unforgettable close-up that was used for the cover, Parks sits quietly waiting for the police as a white bus driver demands that she give up her seat. In contrast, the final picture opens out to four pages showing women, men, and children marching for equal rights at the bus boycott and in the years of struggle yet to come. The history comes clear in the astonishing combination of the personal and the political.
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2006)
Poet Giovanni's lightly fictionalized (and unsourced) feminist account of Rosa Parks's historic refusal to give up her seat on a bus in 1955 Montgomery emphasizes the role of the Women's Political Council but soft-pedals both the NAACP's contributions and Parks's own prior political activism. Handsome collage paintings with bold patterns and strong figures do more than ample justice to Parks's heroism.
Other Books Written by Nikki Giovanni
Standing in the Need of Prayer
Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People
The Girls in the Circle
Howard, E. F. (2005). Virgie goes to school with us boys. Aladdin.
Overview
In the post-Civil War South, a young African American girl is determined to prove that she can go to school just like her older brothers.
Evaluation
The story is based on a true story of Ms. Howard's grandfather's sister wanting to go to school and eventually was allowed to go. The illustrations are vivid and allows the reader to perceive Virgie's environment. At the end of the book, the author gives the history of slavery before the Civil War and after the Reconstruction Period as well as history about her family and learning how to be free. She also includes a photograph of Virgie's brothers.
Ages 5-7. A much-loved and often-told family story does not always translate into a compelling and engaging picture book, but this one sure does. Virgie, youngest in a family of boys, wants to learn to read and write just like her brothers. But the boys have to walk seven miles to Jonesborough each Monday morning, carrying their food and clothes, and stay the week at the Quaker school. Virgie is insistent, and the wonderful rhythms of the telling take us past the mill, the stream, the woods where the children sing to drive away the fear, and, finally, to school, where Virgie vows to read every book. Lewis, who illustrated Bat Boy and the Violin (1998), beautifully uses the play of light and dark, letting the greens of forest and meadow, the rich brown skin tones of the characters, and the pale cottons of britches and dresses make a sparkling series of images on the full-page illustrations. An author's note tells some of the family and social history on which the story is based. Children will respond to the wonderful pictures and the implicit and moving message about the value of learning.
Horn Book Guide (Fall 2000)
Virgie wants to go to school with her brothers, but they reply that it's too far, too hard, and she's too little. Virgie asks her parents and, finally, her persistence pays off--she packs her pail for the week-long stay at the Quaker school for freed slaves. Lewis's watercolor illustrations enhance this addition to the author's collection of family stories.
Other Books Written by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)
Nolen, J. (2007). Thunder Rose. HMH Books for Young Readers.
Overview
Unusual from the day she is born, Thunder Rose performs all sorts of amazing feats, including building metal structures, taming a stampeding herd of steers, capturing a gang of rustlers, and turning aside a tornado.
Evaluation
The illustrations capture the Wild West and convey the humor in the story. The storyline is similar to Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan. The book is text heavy and can be intimating to readers, but it is wonderfully written with great descriptive language which would be suited for 3rd-5th grade students. It is about a girl of color finding her true self and having the confidence to do anything. Great book for covering figurative language, retelling and summarizing, characters, and central idea with supporting details.
K-Gr. 3. An exuberant tall tale with an irresistible African American heroine. The night Thunder Rose was born to her parents, the thunder gave her her name, and she rolled the lightning into a ball and put it on her shoulder. By the next day, she was lifting a whole cow for a drink of milk. At two, she wove a pile of scrap iron into a thunderbolt; at twelve, she invented barbed wire, stopped a stampede, and captured a band of desperadoes. Thunder Rose even turns away a tornado with her song and the depth of her "fortunate feeling. "The watercolor, oil, and pencil illustrations capture the Wild West vistas, the textures of grass and homespun cloth, and the character's personalities, even that of Tater, Rose's trusty steer. Best of all, however, is Rose herself, the color of polished mahogany, with enough sass and savvy to overcome any obstacle. A terrific read-aloud.
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2004)
This fast-paced tall tale depicts the feats of the chocolate-colored heroine, Thunder Rose. Like her male counterparts, Paul Bunyan and John Henry, Rose is born strong and, from the beginning, does big things: heads off a stampede, calms windstorms, and turns a tornado into a gentle rain. Dynamic, oversize illustrations capture the energy of Rose's rollicking adventures.
Other Books Written by Jerdine Nolen
Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life
Irene's Wish
Eliza's Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary
Nyong'o, L. (2019). Sulwe. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Overview
Evaluation
This book is beautifully illustrated and written. The author gives the message that we all need to find our self love and worth in the world. Many children can relate to the girl in the story by comparing themselves to the way others look and being able to find their own beauty. The book captures the struggle that many children of color face. Great book for discussing self-acceptance, developing self-esteem, and respecting diversity.
Grades K-2. Sulwe’s “night-shaded skin” sets her apart from the people around her. Classmates call her names, she can’t make friends, and no trick of makeup, dieting, or prayer succeeds in lightening her color. Then, one night, a shooting star carries her out from her bedroom into the origin story of Night and Day, two goddesses of starkly different shades. After the dark Night runs away to escape the world’s cruelty, everyone realizes that they need her darkness just as much as they need the Day’s light. This parable helps Sulwe understand that all skin tones have value, and she returns feeling beautiful. It’s a lovely offering from Oscar-winner Nyong’o, whose own life inspired the story. Harrison’s expressive illustrations—a duet of dark purples and light golds infused with heart and starlight—make it impossible to deny the beauty on display. A welcome celebration of Black girls, an important lesson for all kids (and grownups), and a necessary message for any child who has been made to feel unworthy of love on account of their looks.
Kirkus Reviews starred (August 15, 2019)
With the help of a legend about Day and Night, a dark-skinned black child learns that she is beautiful inside and out.Sulwe is “the color of midnight,” the darkest in her multihued family, and is teased in school. She tries everything to lighten her skin: an eraser, makeup, eating light foods, prayer. Her mother tells her she is beautiful and that her name, Sulwe, or “star,” refers to an inner brightness, but she can’t see it in herself. Then a shooting star comes to her window, sent by the night, and brings Sulwe out to tell her about Night and Day, two sisters who loved each other but were treated differently. When Night left after people called her names like “scary,” “bad,” and “ugly,” the people realized that they needed her. The stars added that “some light can only be seen in the dark.” After learning how Night and Day are both needed, Sulwe knows that she is “dark and beautiful, bright and strong.” Harrison’s glossy illustrations faithfully render the features of black people, allowing the beauty of different skin tones to shine, with deep purple tones in the darkness, reinforcing the story’s message. In an author’s note, Nyong’o shares her own past struggles with her complexion. A thoughtfully layered text and powerful illustrations address this sensitive topic in a uniquely nurturing way. (Picture book. 4-9)
Ringgold, F. (1996). Tar beach. Dragonfly Books.
Overview
Evaluation
The illustrations are beautiful and the artwork comes alive in Ringgold's book. The author gives the message that rituals are important and we all should find something in our neighborhoods that we cherish. The last page gives information about Tar Beach as well as a picture of the quilt Faith Ringgold made which the book is based on. Around the edges of the quilt is the story. with Great read aloud for covering context clues, summarizing, character traits, theme, visualizing, and discussing real or fantasy. The text is a great way to tie in art and have students create a piece of the quilt and putting all the pieces together to make a class quilt.
The book - originally created as a story quilt - recounts the dream adventures of eight-year-old Cassie, who flies above her apartment rooftop looking down on 1939 Harlem. A stunningly beautiful book.
Kirkus Reviews starred (1990)
A Harlem-born artist expands on one of her distinctive "quilt paintings" to create a marvelously evocative book that draws on her own imaginative life as a child. As explained in a concluding note, Ringgold's "Woman on a Bridge" series, including Tar Beach (reproduction included), is now in the Guggenheim. Combining the traditional association between flying and the escape of slaves to freedom with her own fantasies as a child who delighted in the sense of liberation and empowerment she felt on a rooftop from which she saw stars twinkling among the lights of nearby George Washington Bridge, Ringgold has fashioned a poignant fictional story about eight-year-old Cassie, who dreams that she can claim the bridge (and freedom and wealth) by soaring above the city; she can even own the Union Building that her skillful father helped to build--though he is often out of work because he is denied membership in the union. The triumphant soaring of imagination over reality is beautifully expressed in Ringgold's bold, vibrant paintings, newly rendered to tell this story, and with details from the quilt's glowing patchwork as a delightful continue along the bottom of each page. Beautiful, innovative, and full of the joy of one unconquerable soul.
Other Books Written by Faith Ringgold
We Came to America
Cassie's World Quilt
We Flew Over the Bridge: The Memoirs of Faith Ringgold
Weatherford, C. B. (2006). Moses: when Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom. Hyperion Book CH.
Overview
Evaluation
The cover is very attractive and draws you to want to open the book and see the illustrations. In the front of the book, the author includes a 'Foreword' explaining the history of slavery. The author includes an ongoing dialogue between Harriet Tubman and the Lord. The illustrations are beautiful and tell the story without having to read the words on each page and brought the words to life. It is an inspiring story about keeping your faith and perseverance. Great read aloud for inferencing, asking questions, visualizing, and activating prior knowledge.
Weatherford's handsome picture book about Harriet Tubman focuses mostly on Tubman's religious inspiration, with echoes of spirituals ringing throughout the spare poetry about her struggle ("Lord, don't let nobody turn me 'round"). God cradles Tubman and talks with her; his words (printed in block capitals) both inspire her and tell her what to do ("SHED YOUR SHOES; WADE IN THE WATER TO TRICK THE DOGS"). Nelson's stirring, beautiful artwork makes clear the terror and exhaustion Tubman felt during her own escape and also during her brave rescue of others. There's no romanticism: the pictures are dark, dramatic, and deeply colored--whether showing the desperate young fugitive "crouched for days in a potato hole" or the tough middle-aged leader frowning at the band of runaways she's trying to help. The full-page portrait of a contemplative Tubman turning to God to help her guide her people is especially striking.
Horn Book Guide starred (Spring 2007)
Weatherford's poetic telling and Nelson's atmospheric paintings of Tubman's role in the Underground Railroad portray the spiritual life of the African American visionary. From her days as a slave to her life as a free person, three narrative voices (a third-person narrator, Harriet herself, and God's words to Harriet) make clear that it was Tubman's faith that sustained her on the freedom journeys.
Other Books Written by Carole Boston Weatherford
RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library
