Illustrations:
Cover illustration by Damian
Ward
Internal illustrations by
Kristen Falouch, Michele Noiset, Jeremy Tugeau, Alicia Vergel de Dios, and
Damian Ward
Poetic Elements: Clever wordplay and
puns bring immediate attention to the poems in this collection. The distinctive language that is spoken in
the book resembles the dialect of African American Vernacular English. Rhyme is in constant motion with the
repetition of the same words and phrases and with words that end in the same
sounds. Each poem has a definite cadence
that moves the reader along and in some cases aides in memorization.
Appeal: The poetic type and size vary throughout the
book. The illustrations are somewhat
contemporary and abstractly done by all of the illustrators. Depending upon the
reader, will depend upon whether childhood experiences seem familiar. Those most interested in learning about Black
History and the African American culture will take delight in reading this
anthology. The poems are filled with
teachable moments and will help children to gain greater insights about
others. The broken English language that
is used in many of the poems will intrigue many a reader who try and speak the
beat or lingo in the way it was intended to be read. Depending on how engrossed the reader gets
and understands what is being read, will decide the emotional effect.
Overall Quality: The poems are definitely appropriate for young people to
read and hear. The younger the person,
the less comprehension will occur because many of the poems reference things of
the past that may have not been taught to them yet. The poems that were chosen for this anthology
were picked because of the beat and rhythm that are felt when being read. They all represent insight into the lives of
African-Americans. Each poem is
distinctively placed on the pages and features spacing, line breaks, and poem
formatting that is unique to itself. I
would dare to say that this book has no poem configured in the same way. The illustrations are appropriate and display
a nice variety in helping depict meaning. Each of the five illustrators has added their
own unique touch to the pages. Reading
so many poems by so many different poets was a little overwhelming for me
personally. If a poet had several poems
published in the book, they were all scattered in relation to each other, which
didn’t give me consistent chance to feel that poet’s writing.
The Poets: This anthology includes 51 poems written by
42 different poets; some with familiar names and others less familiar. Some of the more familiar authors include:
Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Nikki Grimes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Walter Dean
Myers, Martin Luther King, Jr., Kanye West, Queen Latifah and many more. Some of the poets unknown to me include:
Jacqueline Woodson, Tupac Shakur, Ruth Forman, Lauryn Hill, and Ja
Jahannes. All of the poems that have
been compiled together in this book have been published in other poetry books
by the various authors.
Layout: The book begins with a Table of Contents and
Introduction written by the editor Nikki Giovanni. Nikki’s introduction explains that there is
no right or wrong way to use the book.
Reading it page by page or skipping around, quietly reading, singing
them, or performing them aloud; as long as you’re feeling the beat, it’s all
good! The information included in the back
of the book shares information about the illustrators, poets and other
contributors of the book. The book
concludes with an index that has a mixed listing of poetry titles and poets in
alphabetical order with the page number listed for poems and multiple page
listings for the poets who have made multiple contributions to the poetry in
the book. In addition to the book, an audio
CD is included. 30 of the poems are
performed in various ways by the author or by another well-known artist. The book shares a wide range of styles, eras,
and poets that are all familiar with the journey that African-Americans have
experienced through the years of being enslaved, slavery being abolished, and
then discovering freedom. Each poet
writes in their own style and mode and expresses their own interpretation with
how African Americans have helped shape America. Some of the poems are serious, while others
are light hearted and plain goofy.
Spotlight Poem: I would begin immediately by reading
“Allow Me to Introduce Myself.” I would then ask students if any of them could
explain what a biography is. I would
also ask what the word fiction meant.
After establishing that a biography is a true story written about
someone else, and that fiction is a made-up story, I would share the book Salt in His Shoes by Deloris
Jordan and Roslyn Jordan.
Afterwards we would debate
if the book was a biography or a fiction story until coming to the truth that
Michael Jordan did not become such a great basketball star because he was told
to put salt in his shoes. It was his
determination and commitment to be the best he could be that got him to where
he is today. His growth was not stunted
in real life, but an actual help in spurring his talent along.
“Allow Me to Introduce
Myself” by Charles R. Smith Jr.
They call me
the show stopper
the dime dropper
the spin-move-to-the-left
reverse jam poppa.
The high flier
on the high wire.
The intense rim-rattlin’
noise
amplifier.
The net-shaker
back board break
creator
Of the funk dunk
hip-shaker.
The Man
Sir Slam
The Legend
I be.
That’s just
a few of the names
they call me.
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