Dogs and children have notable activities in common. They love to sprint when they should walk. They refuse to move when they should dash. They like to dig in the dirt and sand. They like to walk through and roll around in mud. They are constantly searching for the perfect stone or rock. One of the most puzzling things is their attraction to water, rain, snow, streams, or lakes, but the merest mention of bath time has them seeking the ultimate hidden nook, far removed from the tub.
When respected and gifted creators successfully collaborate and return, readers rejoice. The first title, Bedtime for Sweet Creatures(Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky, January 14, 2020) written by Nikki Grimes with pictures by Elizabeth Zunon, portrays the nighty ritual of a patient parent persuading a reluctant child to go to bed. In their second book, Off to See the Sea (Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky, January 12, 2021), a child is coaxed into a watery excursion extraordinaire.
"BATH TIME,"
I whisper in your ear.
Those words send the laughing child scampering to hide. Not to be deterred, their mother invites them to a wondrous place. Here a waterfall flows from the faucet.
The child is lifted and placed into the newly formed sea. Mother shouts out a warning. There might be monsters. Is that a rubber ducky on the loose?
Squeals and splashes blend. The child grasps their nose and disappears beneath the surface. What will they find? Two tugboats, a gift from daddy, carry mother and child safely over wild waves.
Bubbles still bounce on the surface as a special, floating book is read. In the blink of an eye the pulled plug supplies an exit for the special, daily realm. A new routine causes giggles and squirms. A trio wanders from the room, all knowing the adventure will begin anew soon.
The everyday becomes enchanting through the masterful writing of Nikki Grimes. She opens the doors of our minds inviting us to swim, dive, sail, and savor the sea found in our imaginations. Her lyrical descriptions using alliteration supply us with a joyful cadence. The inclusion of the mother's dialogue makes the story more personal, generating a connection to readers' real-life experiences. Here is a passage.
Then down, down you go,
slip-sliding
into a
SOFT-SCENTED
SEA.
"Now, was that so bad?" I ask.
You play pretend and sniffle.
When you look at the matching and open dust jacket and book case, you are greeted with a burst of vibrant color. Bubbles rise from the waterfall forming from the faucet. The child is no longer hiding, but ready to move into the sea scene. This image, on the right, front, of the jacket and case, is a combination of reality and nightly, motherly inventiveness. To the left, on the back, we move closer to elements from the story. There are bubbles, tiny fish, another jellyfish, starfish, a crab, shells, flowers, a toy boat, the yellow rubber ducky, and a sandcastle with a shovel and pail next to it. The shade of color for the canvas is the same on the front and back. Certain elements on the front and back are varnished. The first sentence from the book is shown on the back.
On the opening and closing endpapers is a collage of patterned papers. They are layered in horizontal rows like waves rolling in from the sea. On the title page, the yellow rubber ducky is resting on the "A" in SEA. To the left of the text is the empty white bathtub.
The art
was created using oil and acrylic paint with cut paper collage, marker, and gel pen
by the excellent Elizabeth Zunon. Each item is placed with care on each page on carefully selected backgrounds. The pictures span two pages, edge to edge except for the first and last images on single pages. On these visuals Elizabeth Zunon employs a variety of perspectives, enhancing the pacing of the narrative. The facial expressions on the mother's, father's, and child's faces are endearing and full of warmth. Affection abounds in this family.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a canvas of palest yellow. Across the two pages in different sizes are bubbles. In nine of them, acting as mirrors, are the child's face. Happiness is reflected in each one. Their eyes are alight with pure contentment. Their cheeks are rounded from happiness. In several of them an open mouth indicates shouts of merriment.
In many families, bath time is a habit with rambunctious results. Through the talents of author Nikki Grimes and artist Elizabeth Zunon, it becomes a glorious, lighthearted romp in Off to See the Sea. This is a book to inspire other original voyages. You'll want to make sure you have a copy in your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Nikki Grimes and Elizabeth Zunon and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the link attached to their names. Nikki Grimes has accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Elizabeth Zunon has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Elizabeth Zunon has a blog here. Elizabeth Zunon answers five questions at The Horn Book. Here is a link to a virtual launch for this book with both Nikki Grimes and Elizabeth Zunon at Books of Wonder.
Women of distinction on an international, national, community or familial level achieve this designation by taking a stand. They stand firm in their beliefs and in following their individual calling. No challenge, large or small, deters them from their life-long pursuits. They are an inspiration to many during their lives, and for those who follow in their paths.
During the recent Democratic presidential candidate process, one of the women who later withdrew is now running as the Democratic candidate for Vice-President. Kamala Harris: Rooted In Justice (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, August 25, 2020) written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Laura Freeman looks at this accomplished woman's life from her birth to present day. It gives readers a deeper understanding of how her beliefs and calling were shaped.
Eve slammed the door when she
got home from first grade.
"Eve!" You know we don't slam doors
in this house," her mom said.
"What's going on?"
Eve is upset about an incident at school. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said she wanted to be President. Another classmate, a boy, said girls can't be President.
With this introduction, the mother begins the story of Kamala Harris. During the narrative, from time to time, Eve and her mother converse about a word or an important event Kamala experiences. We first learn of the meaning of Kamala's name. The explanation of a lotus flower's beauty and roots is an apt comparison.
Kamala's mother was born in India and her father was born in Jamaica. She was born in Oakland, California. Even as a baby, yet unable to walk, Kamala was a part of her parent's involvement in seeking social equality. She and her younger sister, Maya, learned the same lessons when visiting their maternal grandparents in Zambia when her grandfather was a diplomat.
When Kamala was seven her parents divorced. From her new home in Berkeley she was bused to school at Thousand Oaks Elementary where she met students from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. Her days were filled with studies, outside interests including evenings at a cultural center showcasing Black Americans in the arts and literature. Kamala, her sister, and mother were deeply involved in their local church, the girls attending on Sundays when they did not visit their father.
When she was in middle school, Kamala's world took another turn when her mother got a job in Montreal, Canada. Trading sun for snow was a huge shift. Kamala returned to the states to attend college at Howard University where she won her first election.
Month after month, during her time at Howard University and in the subsequent years every choice, every career decision, lead Kamala Harris to her present place in politics as the second African American woman to be voted into the United States Senate. Her focus, learned from her family, has been service for the people she represents. In less than two months, we will all see if her dedication will be amplified.
The literary technique of having Kamala Harris's story told through the conversation between a mother and her daughter is highly effective when used in the masterful hands of author Nikki Grimes. Her careful research is obvious in the specific details she includes. She takes readers step by step, using her gift with words, to build this distinctive woman's life layer by layer. Here is a passage.
Once, when tiny Kamala was fussing,
her mother couldn't figure out
what was the matter.
"What do you want, little girl?" she asked.
"Freedom!" said Kamala,
and a waterfall of laughter
sputtered from her mother's mouth.
The strength of Kamala Harris's character, the people who shaped her life, and her commitment to serving people and this country is depicted with excellence on the front, right, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case. The design is eloquent in every respect, as are the color choices. The text is raised.
To the left, on the back, a much younger Kamala is seated at a neighbor's table, a red-and-white checkered tablecloth in front of her. Her head is tilted as she listens to the woman (who we can't see) speak. Behind her are portraits of famous African American woman and African face masks on the wall. (This is a portion of an interior illustration.)
The opening and closing endpapers are a bright yellow. On the title page a younger Kamala Harris, wearing a backpack, is headed to her home. Two signs in the yard display the title and subtitle.
These illustrations by Laura Freeman rendered digitally are bold, rich, and warm. They are double-page pictures and single-page pictures, edge to edge. Our focus is always maintained by the vivid depictions of Kamala, regardless of her age or the setting in which she finds herself. Laura Freeman has portrayed her so well, we expect her to come to life at any moment. If we pause at each illustration, we can see the individual elements included which are all a part of who Kamala Harris is today.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is at the beginning of the book. It is when Eve's mother is starting the story of Kamala Harris's life. Across two pages is a collage of large lotus flowers, left to right, among teal water with floating smaller lotus flowers and pads. In the first large lotus flower is baby Kamala grasping a small lotus blossom. In the second large flower is little girl Kamala, eyes closed, as she smells a larger lotus blossom she holds in both hands. On the other side of the gutter, a much older Kamala, among large lotus petals, is studying. This leads us to present day Kamala. She fills nearly half of the right side, smiling, and with her eyes wide open. The lotus pattern is overlaid on her clothing.
This woman has left her mark in each portion of her life which is clearly defined in Kamala Harris: Rooted In Justice written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Laura Freeman. Each time you read this title; your respect continues to grow for her commitment to her calling. You are inspired. At the close of the book is a timeline of significant occurrences in her life. A small list of sources is included. You'll want to have a copy of this book in your professional and personal collections.
To learn more about Nikki Grimes and Laura Freeman and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. Nikki Grimes has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Laura Freeman has an account on Instagram. The cover reveal for this book was hosted by Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, at Watch. Connect. Read. I believe you will enjoy the conversation between Nikki Grimes and John Schumacher. At the publisher's website you can view multiple interior images, several of which are my favorites.
This next woman's words still ring with clarity in the music she made. You can't read or hear her name without one of her songs keeping you company throughout the day in your mind. You might find yourself humming one of her tunes. Her voice, like her persona, is larger than life.
As the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fameher place in the world of music is forever etched in history. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, August 25, 2020) written by Carole Boston Weatherford with art by Frank Morrison is a tribute in words and art to the power of a single person to effect change for the greater good on a worldwide scale. Even at this moment, I can hear her singing.
B-L-E-S-S-E-D
Cradled by the church, rocked by an ebony sea,
Aretha says a little prayer each night on bended knee.
This introductory sentence is the first of fifteen single hyphenated words followed by one or two explanatory sentences. We learn of the strong foundation of faith present in Aretha's life. We learn of the family's move to Detroit where the parents and children lift their voices in Gospel song.
Aretha's parents separate, but her musical talent soars. She is a gifted pianist, playing by ear. She also listens to her father's voice in the fight for equality across the spectrum.
At the age of fourteen, Aretha records her first album. Her father knows true talent when he hears it, a voice able to span
three-plus octaves.
This woman is not only a strength in the world of music, but a source of power in the civil rights movement. She gives concerts for free to raise funds. A moment everyone will remember is her singing of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Throughout her life Aretha Franklin returns to the foundation from which she rose, deep in her religious beliefs, the Queen of Soul, using her gift from God.
The manner in which author Carole Boston Weatherford unfolds her appreciation for Aretha Franklin in this narrative is akin to a call and response. A single definitive word is presented, followed by a factual, but lyrical rhyming description. Only twice during this book does she break this cadence to use quoted phrases. Here is another passage.
G-I-F-T-E-D
Young, gifted, black, Aretha hears a melody.
Then she plays the tune by ear---plinking perfectly.
You cannot help but gasp, at least inwardly, if not aloud, when you view the opened dust jacket of this book. Artist Frank Morrison displays Aretha Franklin young, vibrant, and definitely a queen from left to right in a majestic depiction. Her feathered coat, continuing over the spine, barely flows past (on the left) her hand holding a microphone. In a word, this is beautiful. The single word main title is raised in gold foil.
On the book case on a canvas of rich, golden brown, orange, and red is a child on the front. Her lovely, black hair frames her smiling face. In both her hands she holds an album reading:
QUEEN OF SOUL
with the face of a singing Aretha above the words.
On the opening endpapers is a collage, as if we are looking down, of album covers, records and a record player. Two people, one a child, and the other older are holding albums. On the closing endpapers is the image from the book case.
These illustrations rendered in oil paint by Frank Morrison are stunning. Across the title page is a double-page picture of a pink Cadillac from fins to front. With a page turn the verso and dedication pages feature Aretha and her siblings playing a game of hide-and-seek at their home in Tennessee.
Each of the following double-page images are glorious paintings portraying significant portions of her life story. We see these occasions from multiple perspectives, as observers or participants. The range of real emotions on the people's faces increases the very personal points of view. With his artwork, Frank Morrison takes us completely into the experience.
One of my many, many favorite paintings is for the passage above noted. We are looking directly down on a young Aretha Franklin. At the top of the page, the piano keyboard extends from edge to edge. Aretha's fingers are placed on the left and right side of her body on the keys. We see her arms, elbows lifted, coming from the sleeves of her yellow dress. We see the skirt of her dress spread out over her legs as she sits on a black bench. All we see of her face is the top of her head. The floor is wide-boards and wooden. Along the lower edge of the image is a fringed, red patterned rug. It's like we've stepped back in time.
This ode in pure poetic perfection enhanced by powerful paintings will be read and treasured for years to come. In R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul written by Carole Boston Weatherford with art by Frank Morrison we get informative glimpses into greatness. At the close of the book there is an author's note which further informs readers. There is also a list of Chart-Toppers: Aretha Franklin's Biggest Hits. I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal bookshelves. You might want to pair this title with A Voice Named Arethawritten by Katheryn Russell-Brown with illustrations by Laura Freeman.
To discover more about Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites. Carole Boston Weatherford has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Frank Morrison has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view the entire dust jacket, back to front.
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.
Moving from place to place is difficult for any number of reasons. There is the packing and unpacking along with a multitude of items to complete on a written or mental checklist. There is the sense of loss at leaving what you have known. There is the sense of unease at arriving where you've never been. You are in a state of uncertainty multiplied tenfold.
When this happens, there is an answer to our frustration and anxiety. It is waiting for us. It does not cost us anything, but our time. Southwest Sunrise(Bloomsbury Children's Books, May 5, 2020) written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Wendell Minor is the joyful journey of a young African American boy. He, like many of us, discovers by listening, and looking we can find answers and previously unknown wonders.
Too old to cry myself to sleep, I hide behind my baseball cap, close my eyes, and pout all the way from New York to New Mexico, mad about moving to a place of shadows. . . .
The boy does not understand the reason behind the move. When he wakes up the following morning, and looks out his bedroom window, one without bars, he is startled by what he sees. The mounding landscape in the distance has shifted into shades of color.
Still not happy about his current circumstances, he is sure the red chili peppers in their kitchen are the only bit of brightness one can expect to find in a desert. He does decide, with a nature guidebook given to him by his mother, to go outside. Again, his surprise is complete. Spread before him like waves are fields of flowers noted in the book.
Gazing in another direction he sees yet another color; this one on a home formed of materials different than his. Unaccustomed to the silence, he soon notices an unusual tree ahead with a group of black and white birds sharing the local news via their articulate noise. Standing for a moment, the boy looks around. The sky rolls on and on unbroken by the skyscrapers he has always known.
A bird certainly acting like royalty strides past him. A lovely lizard glides across his palm. Skeletal pieces of those long-gone gleam against the sand. As the path he follows ends, he realizes the desert has seen him and fills his emptiness with a final treat. A soul brimming with happiness returns the favor.
With each reading of the words written by Nikki Grimes, they reach farther into your heart. Her use of language, its poetic pacing and rhythmic beat fashioned by carefully placed punctuation, draws us into the experienced moments of this boy's arrival at his new home and his first day of exploration. His emotional voice sings to us as it is transformed by his sensory morning stroll. Here is a portion of another poem.
I look up, try to understand the deep waves of turquoise overhead. I search for the end of blue, but there is none.
When you first look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, the majesty and the silence of the panorama envelope you. They allow you to be with the boy, hand to his head to sharpen his gaze, as he scans his setting. The slight smile on his face is an indication of the pleasure he senses in his surroundings. The rocky vista extends over the spine to the left on the back. Here, the sky is a textured, watercolor blend of blue and white.
On the opening endpapers is a detailed, almost architectural depiction, of a cityscape. A line of buildings, most of them skyscrapers, reach into the sky. On the closing endpapers is a vast expanse of grasses, flowers, and a few trees reaching toward layers of rocky mounds, plateaus, and hills. Above these is a sky awash with clouds. A lone bird floats over one of the left ridges.
These illustrations rendered
with gouache watercolor on Strathmore 500 Bristol Paper
byWendell Minor, paint an emotional portrait of change within the context of a gorgeous natural space. There is a union of soft textures, intricate lines, light and shadow and bold, almost photographic, elements. The sizes of the images and their perspectives change with the narrative. There are dramatic double-page pictures, single-page visuals and smaller images with wide white borders.
In many of the illustrations we get a real sense of the immensity of the location where the boy's home is located. Even when we are brought close to the child like when he is holding the lizard, behind him is the New Mexican landscape stretching as far as the eye can see. Readers will enjoy the altered points of view, not quite knowing what presentation they will see after a page turn. This aspect ties us even closer to the boy and his morning walk.
One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture. On either side at the bottom are rounded tops of shrubs. We see a portion of the boy in his striped polo shirt, from mid-chest upward. His right hand is raised in farewell. Above him and close to readers is a magnificent magpie in flight, wings spread, and tail extended. The bird is placed on white with a blue wash on the left and right sides. What a magical moment created in this visual interpretation of Nikki Grimes wondrous words.
In this book, Southwest Sunrise written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Wendell Minor, readers travel from frustration to fascination with an African American boy who takes his first walk at his new home. Nature, our natural world, has a huge capacity to soothe and calm. I first read this book nearly two months ago, and with each subsequent reading, I find myself stepping into serenity. I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.
To learn more about Nikki Grimes and Wendell Minor and their considerable body of work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. On a page at his website Wendell Minor has multiple interior imagesfrom this book. Nikki Grimes has accounts on Facebook, and Twitter. Wendell Minor has accounts on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Please take a few moments to listen to Nikki Grimes read a poem from this book. It's one of my many favorite entries.
Regardless of the continent, country or community, it is a routine repeated daily. When parents are ready to rest, their children are not sleepy. You would think after a day of nearly non-stop action the children would be tired, but the opposite is true. The words, it's time for bed, are akin to a super surge of energy for little gals and guys.
They will say and do anything to avoid going to bed. Bedtime for Sweet Creatures (Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky, January 14, 2020) written by Nikki Grimes with pictures by Elizabeth Zunon is a story of patient parental persuasions. It is a story of the enchantment of love renewed each evening.
NO! NO! NO!
A child shouts as soon as their mother calls them to bed. Employing a new tactic, mimicking the call of an owl, the child wants to know who has to go to bed. In reply the mother carries the child's teddy bear to their bed believing the child will follow. The child runs, climbs on the bed and sounds not unlike a bear.
Now beneath the covers the child cowers and speaks in a whisper, fearful. Like a triumphant declaration, the mother calls out her assurances. Further putting off the inevitable, the child implores like a king of beasts for Mother to look under the bed.
Now is the time for stories. The child, motionless like an animal waiting, listens and then settles in for the wonder of once upon a time. Even though the child is nestled deep under the blankets, they are restless and nervous as an animal who sleeps in nests among the trees. Leaping up, they hug their mother one more time, clinging like a koala.
Each time the mother utters a sentence the child acknowledges her words by portraying, in the mother's mind, a well-known animal. Two final ploys and the child runs to bed. Or do they? Wishing for sleep, the mother and father, now in their bed, hear a final but familiar sentence softly said. Who is with them now?
No matter how many times you read this book, these wonderful words, written by Nikki Grimes, you'll find yourself hugging it at the end. You'll want to put it under your pillow. Having the story told by the mother is perfection. Her combination of narrative and spoken words is as if she is telling her child this story the next day or as far in the future as when the child is now an adult. Most important is the strong undercurrent of deep affection found in the words used by Nikki Grimes. Here is a passage.
You yawn and grind your teeth like a SQUIRREL,
ready to nibble the night.
"I'm not sleepy." you tell me. I smile and tuck you in tight.
The image shown on the open and matching dust jacket and book case spans from the back, the left edge, over the spine to the front, the right edge. It is a majestic depiction of a tiger, bear, lion, fawn, koala, owl and a portion of a wolf. The brilliant array of eye-catching colors and blend of realism with the culturally patterned animals is absolutely stunning. The stars on the rich deep blue, with the crescent moon, mirror those found in our night skies, some forming constellations.
On the opening and closing endpapers is a repeating pattern of five vertical stripes of paper. They are in shades of blue with some green, gray and gold. They represent the many moods of the story and of the night. (They appear again as the fabric for the parent's quilt.) On the title page, the animal featured is the back portion of the tiger. It's a continuation of the tiger from the back of the jacket and case. The varnished title text, moon and some stars shown on the jacket is repeated here.
Rendered
using oil and acrylic paint with cut paper collage, marker, and gel pen
the pictures by Elizabeth Zunon shown as full-page illustrations at the beginning and end and double-page visuals throughout the book present realistic characters and settings. The inclusion of the animals, life-size, is a striking contrast. Elizabeth Zunon's color choices are complementary. Each illustration elevates the text, sending the lyrical words out to wrap around readers in warmth.
One of my many, many favorite images is when the mother is carrying the child's teddy bear in her hand and walking down the hallway toward the child's bedroom. As a background for most of the double-page picture, except for the wood floors along the bottom, an elegant wallpaper is shown in hues of dark blue. The mother is striding along, wearing a lighter blue top, pink bottoms and blue slippers with white pom-poms. She is on the left side. On the right side is the toddler in their red pajamas running with an arm outstretched. Between the background and the mother and child is the bear. It's enormous; spanning from two-thirds on the left to a little more than half on the right. It, like all the animals, is contented and walking. It is colored in shades of blue, turquoise and a spring green. The pattern on its body looks ancient.
This book, Bedtime for Sweet Creatures, written by Nikki Grimes with pictures by Elizabeth Zunon is a work of art. It presents a timeless story through a fresh perspective. I highly recommend it for your personal and professional libraries. (On a more personal note, when I visit my hair stylist, I always talk about books with her, even bringing titles to show her. Yesterday, she was telling me about a book her daughter picked out at the public library. They have read it multiple times and loved it. It is this book.)
To learn more about Nikki Grimes and Elizabeth Zunon and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names. Nikki Grimes has accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Elizabeth Zunon maintains accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Educators have plans for a day, a week, a month and an entire year with goals to be met. Even if not required, their value is priceless. When you hold the future captive in your classroom day after day, year after year, it's a responsibility and an honor for you to be your best self and to help them find their best selves. There are those days though, when plans take wing and fly out the window in the face of another form of learning.
In looking back you may or may not be able to pinpoint the moment, word or action which prompts the shift but the entire room feels it. At the end of this special kind of day when everyone leaves, they are feeling more connected to you, themselves and humanity as a whole. One Last Word: Wisdom From The Harlem Renaissance (Bloomsbury, January 3, 2017) written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Cozbi A. Cabrera, R. Gregory Christie, Pat Cummings, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Ebony Glenn, Nikki Grimes, E. B. Lewis, Frank Morrison, Christopher Myers, Brian Pinkney, Sean Qualls, James Ransome, Javaka Steptoe, Shadra Strickland and Elizabeth Zunon is exactly like one of those extraordinary days. Nothing else matters but the poems which lift your soul, making you a part of a greater more beautiful whole.
I was thirteen years old when I read my poetry aloud in front of an audience for the first time. The event took place at the Countee Cullen Library in New York City, a local branch named after one of the leading poets of the Harlem Renaissance. ... ... As I ascended the stage that day, I felt as if I were stepping into the stream of the Renaissance poets who had come before me. I feel their weight, and their influence, still. ... The Harlem Renaissance was one of the most remarkable periods of artistic growth and exploration in American history. ... ... Through the decades, this literature has reminded readers, of all races, how vital it is that we define ourselves, set our own paths, celebrate our own capabilities, and determine our own destiny, no matter what obstacles are placed in our way. ...
The above four short passages are taken from the Preface and an introduction titled The Harlem Renaissance written by Nikki Grimes. They are a genuine, moving invitation, a musical interlude of words, to the three parts of this title, Emergency Measures, Calling Dreams and To A Dark Girl, which contain thirty poems (one is an excerpt). Using the poetic form called The Golden Shovel, Nikki Grimes writes sixteen poems in response to fourteen poems written by marvelous poets from The Harlem Renaissance. The Golden Shovel asks the writer to take a line or an entire poem using the words at the end of a line in a new poem.
In the first poem, Storm Ending, written by Jean Toomer, the first line reads
Thunder blossoms gorgeously above our heads.
The first two lines of Nikki Grimes' poem, Truth, read
The truth is, every day we rise is like thunder--- a clap of surprise. Could be echoes of trouble, or blossoms of blessing. ...
Following a poem speaking about life and death of a particular person, we are introduced to the inner thoughts of six young people looking for the best life has to offer. We sense a deep compassion for their hopes, fears and challenges. This is followed by thoughts on dreams as a lead to the second section.
We learn how dreams become reality. We learn how dreams are held in hearts with dignity and courage. We learn how nothing stops one from following their dreams...nothing. We learn how humans can be superheroes. We learn how choices determine which paths to follow to find the truth behind our dreams.
Three odes to three girls send our hearts soaring as the wonder of each one of them is declared. A boy wants to take a girl to the prom; a frank dinner table discussion reveals truths and trust. Another individual marvels in silence at the beauty of another wishing for courage, maybe tomorrow, to speak. Closing as Nikki Grimes begins; a quest continues with hope.
These poems, from The Harlem Renaissance and written by Nikki Grimes, will set your soul on fire warming you through and through. You want to jump inside the poetic answers penned by Nikki Grimes, believing the potency in each one will sustain you regardless of the path you choose. You understand what you are reading is pure truth. Every time you read a single line, you recognize she is a wizard with words, casting a spell over every reader. Here are some more examples. (I actually wanted to underline nearly everything in this book.)
HELENA I've never met a marine biologist, so what makes me think I could be one? My head is full of fantasies that don't fit other people's ideas of what's possible. They tell me I should squeeze my hopes into a miniature box of their design. But I'm not so inclined. Their infinitesimal perceptions are not for me. I'm full as a pinata, stuffed with daring and delectable dreams of all I can truly be. There's hardly room for doubts, for fears.
From Lessons by Nikki Grimes ... Empty pockets turn you inside out, but Son, don't mind what's missing. Count all that's free: friendship, laughter, all the love your heart can carry, and time---count time.
Not including the matching dust jacket and book case, there are sixteen original stunning illustrations by the illustrators listed above. Each is uniquely their own work showcasing their own special styles and color palettes. I know you will find yourself doing the same thing I did; trying to guess which picture was created by which artist.
One of my many favorite images is created by Pat Cummings for Nikki Grime's poem David's Old Soul. The poem makes reference to a son being like a tree on which his two brothers may lean and carrying them and his mother like a raft over the rough waters of life. A pale golden yellow is the background. Pyramids are seen in the distance on the left and right. Palm trees and their branches extend from the edges. A strong young boy, his upper body shown, fills much of this top half of the page. He is holding out a protective arm toward one brother. The other brother is in the arms of their mother, her hair streaming in the water. This water is shown in shades of green and blue on the lower half of the page. This is a striking representation.
To learn more about Nikki Grimes and these individual illustrators please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites or information about them. At the publisher's website you can view and download a teacher's guide. On February 23, 2017 Publishers Weekly hosted a chat between poets Kwame Alexander and Nikki Grimes. On February 6, 2017 The Horn Book asks Five questions for Nikki Grimes. On February 3, 2017 School Library Journal features A Renaissance Woman | Up Close with Nikki Grimes.
Throughout history single names rise to the top for their impact on the course of events. These individuals become beacons for others with like beliefs. They are colleagues in a common cause.
In 1904 a women's suffrage convention is held in Rochester, New York. In attendance is Harriet Tubman. Susan B. Anthony is to be a speaker. In a surprise move, but surely not to her, Susan B. Anthony introduces Harriet Tubman inviting her to speak. Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman And Susan B. Anthony Inspired By Historical Facts (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., January 6, 2015), written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Michele Wood, imagines a conversation between these two legendary women prior to the start of the convention.
That November afternoon, there was a rap at Susan's front door. Susan finished lacing up her shoes, then crossed the parlor in the staccato rhythm of one who's got places to go. Were it not for an abundance of white hair, you'd never know how many years she'd been on this earth, how many lives she'd lived. But there was one who could count them, one whose stories were river deep. Susan reached the door, swung it wide, and smiled. "Harriet!" ...
Following this opening, introductory conversation twenty more single entries are brimming with memories as these larger-than-life figures recount their life accomplishments and adventures. They each reveal the journeys taken to this particular year. We learn vital information about significant points in history which defined their lives.
Frustrated and angered with the unequal treatment of females employed as teachers, Susan leaves the profession in 1849 to champion women's rights. It is like the voice of the Lord speaks to Harriet urging her to help others to freedom once she is free. She first wants to help her niece before she is sold again.
Due to the attendance of abolitionists at Sunday family dinners, Susan is well aware of the struggles to free the slaves. She is initially drawn to free women from the evils bestowed upon them by men, husbands, who drink too much alcohol. Sad in the depths of her soul, Harriet learns her husband has taken a new wife, instead she returns North with eleven others seeking freedom.
Encouragement from a family known for taking a stand Susan begins speaking out in favor of temperance. Knowing she too has been called into service by the Almighty, Harriet makes one journey after another from Philadelphia to Maryland saving as many as she can, praying when danger is near. Susan recalls hearing how an angel is guarding Harriet.
Susan adds her voice to the Teachers' Convention for more than ten years causing a major commotion at first. Although she does not count herself as a public speaker, Harriet spins stories of her rescues remembering every single moment. These stories prompt others to join her Underground Railroad movement especially with monetary support.
In remembering many trips, Harriet thinks back on a particularly fearful encounter with slave dealers. The work for which she is most remembered moves to the forefront in the winter of 1854 to 1855 for Susan. Bitter cold and drifts double her height do not deter this woman in seeking the vote. Both women have stories tying them to staunch abolitionist John Brown and his fall at Harper's Ferry.
By the year 1860 Harriet Tubman has a bounty on her head. Bowing to the pleas of family she completes one final trip bringing a couple to Canada. Often ridiculed for not being married and being childless, Susan nevertheless makes great strides for women in 1860. In the following year both women are as committed as ever to fight for the slaves' freedom against tremendous odds and neither will be stopped.
A bitter battle during the war with Harriet serving as a nurse, cook and spy brings to light a little known fact. Susan calls to mind the battles being fought at home for emancipation; a horrible time with wild conditions in the city. At the close of their visit both know more work is to be done for those you cannot do it themselves. These women do not rest.
Time after time in the reading of these twenty-one lyrical compositions, readers will find themselves stopping to enjoy the use of language by Nikki Grimes. Images created by her words bring you into the emotional mood of those recalled moments. The final words on one page connect to the first words on the next page, flowing flawlessly. By weaving dialogue and narrative together she fashions a tapestry of living history for us. By adding intimate details of them drinking tea, the chill in the room and the building of a fire, we are there with them, listening. Here are some more sample passages.
"I joined the Daughters of Temperance, if not to end all imbibing of strong drink, then at least to win protection for the women and children it harmed." "Lord knows, it's our hearts that drive us!" said Harriet. Harriet closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, her focus seemed as locked in the past as the story she was telling, but then she blinked a few times and she was back. "To change things," said Harriet. "Yes," said Susan, "and to make them better." "Looks like the Lord made us both servants," said Harriet. "We just had different assignments."
From the moment you unfold the matching dust jacket and book case you step back in time. The portraits of both women at different ages framing the title are seen again inside the book. On the back, in the same golden yellow as the line framing the title on the front, serving as a background, the title words are enlarged and repeated in rows in a shiny white.
Smaller depictions of the women in rows are patterned on the opening and closing endpapers. As part of a two-page title page, the women are portrayed facing one another as they would have been in 1904. Single page paintings rendered in acrylic and oil by illustrator Michele Wood are featured opposite each essay. Wood includes delicate scroll work along the top and bottom of each two pages. Even numbered pages are noted on the left at the bottom in a background taken from the following image.
Each element of these paintings is pieced together like fabric on a quilt; like a treasured family heirloom. It's the faces of these two women and those people in their lives which draw us into the pictures. Many of them are charged with emotion.
One of my two favorite illustrations is of Susan B. Anthony during the winter of 1854-1855 when she is soliciting signatures for petitions for women's suffrage. The look of resolve on her face as she faces us standing in the snowy weather ignites courage. The visual of Harriet holding a solider (Frederick Douglas's son, Lewis) is moving. Another wounded man is resting nearby. Although the three are on grass, behind them is a quilt with important pieces in it.
Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys Of Harriet Tubman And Susan B. Anthony Inspired By Historical Facts written by Nikki Grimes with illustrations by Michele Wood is an accounting which will reach into your soul. These are the kind of stories which make historical names real people, bringing their lives into the here and now. Their deeds and dedication will inspire many for years to come. Extensive Biographies, Additional Notes, Bibliography and Author's Note complete the title.
To explore more about Nikki Grimes and Michele Wood and their other work please visit their respective websites by following the links attached to their names. For a unit of study on Nikki Grimes, including this title, follow this link.
I am using this book for my selection for this week's 2015 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy. Although the hours of conversation between the two women are fictional, they are heavily based upon facts gathered by the author. I encourage everyone to read this and make it a part of their personal and professional book collections.
