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Synopsis
We are color struck The way an artist strikes His canvas with his brush of many hues
Look closely at these mirrors these palettes of skin Each color is rich in its own right
Black is dazzling and distinctive, like toasted wheat berry bread; snowberries in the fall; rich, red cranberries; and the bronzed last leaves of summer. In this lyrical and luminous collection, Coretta Scott King honorees Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper celebrate these many shades of black beautifully.
Children's Literature
This book is rich—rich in imagery and metaphors, rich in languid and lyrical text, rich in illustrations imbued with purple, black, brown and a myriad of other colors. The images, the carefully selected words, the symmetry and symbolism come together to create a beautiful and vivid collection of poems describing the many shades of black. This book, quiet yet intense, resonates with readers. Each poem, built around the many hues and types of berries, is worthy of standing on its own. Still, the full strength of the book comes from reading it in its entirety, with each poem providing a base for the next by adding depth and understanding to the text. This book is highly recommended for purchase for public libraries and school media centers. Teachers and librarians are sure to use it during February for Black History Month, but a book this good should be celebrated throughout the year. Reviewer: Meagan Albright
Editorials
Children's Literature -
This book is rich—rich in imagery and metaphors, rich in languid and lyrical text, rich in illustrations imbued with purple, black, brown and a myriad of other colors. The images, the carefully selected words, the symmetry and symbolism come together to create a beautiful and vivid collection of poems describing the many shades of black. This book, quiet yet intense, resonates with readers. Each poem, built around the many hues and types of berries, is worthy of standing on its own. Still, the full strength of the book comes from reading it in its entirety, with each poem providing a base for the next by adding depth and understanding to the text. This book is highly recommended for purchase for public libraries and school media centers. Teachers and librarians are sure to use it during February for Black History Month, but a book this good should be celebrated throughout the year. Reviewer: Meagan AlbrightSchool Library Journal
Gr 1-4
The varieties of African-American ethnic heritage are often rendered invisible by the rigid construction of racial identity that insists on polarities. This collection of 12 poems makes the complexities of a layered heritage visible and the many skin shades celebrated. Read-aloud-sized spreads offer luminous artwork that complements the verses in which children speak of their various hues: "I am midnight and berries..." a child says in the title poem. In another selection, a boy recalls his Seminole grandmother who has given him the color of "red raspberries stirred into blackberries." In "Cranberry Red," a child asserts that "it's my Irish ancestors/Who reddened the Africa in my face," understanding that "When we measure who we are/We don't leave anybody out." The large illustrations match the lyrical poetry's emotional range. Cooper's method includes "pulling" the drawing out from a background of oil paint and glazes. With his subtractive method, he captures the joy of these children-the sparkle of an eye, the width of a grin, the lovely depths of their skin, and the light that radiates from within. This book complements titles that explore identity, such as Katie Kissinger's All the Colors We Are (Redleaf, 1994).-Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA