# 39- I Love My Hair

I Love My Hair (2001)

Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Illustrated by E.B. Lewis

This story about embracing oneself is beautifully depicted with surreal scenes balanced with realistic images of family. Keyana, the African American girl in the story echoes her mother’s words throughout the text. Her mom tells her that “you can wear any style you choose,” and soon after the book is taken over by surreal images that appear to be from the child’s imagination. Her mother says she can “spin her hair” into fine thread, and the image depicts the little girl sitting before a spinning wheel with her hair connected to it in a long thread. Her hair becomes part of the scenery in a garden depicting corn rows on another double page spread. Lewis has created a set of surprising images to accompany the empowering narrative.

The narration includes the “clicky-clacky” sound that Keyana's beads make as she moves, and the girl proclaims that she can “let my hair be free, do what it wants.” Endpages feature images in primary colors of the combs, clips and rubber bands used to style hair.

# 33- José! Born to Dance (2005)

José! Born to Dance (2005)

Susanna Reich

Illustrated by Raúl Colón

Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award

This biography of Mexican dancer José Limón tells a story of one creative artist’s quest to find his passion. What I most enjoy about the story is how José practices and develops many different talents in his life, such as drawing and playing the piano, before he finds his passion for dance.

José grows up during the civil war in México and after his family is forced to hide in the cellar for three days and three nights, they immigrate to the U.S. He grows up dreaming about being an artist an “is famous for his pictures of trains” among his siblings.

As a young adult, José grieves the death of his mother, works in a factory, and dreams of living in New York someday. When he moves there and takes a job as a janitor, however, José becomes discouraged by the works of art he sees in museums and grows lonely. It is when a friend invites him to see dancers that he finds his true passion and “became what he was born to be.”

Colón’s textured paintings feature images that give the reader a sense of being enclosed with his use of lines. In the background of the illustrations that alternate from verso to recto, the round shapes of José and other characters are always framed by photograph frames, a blackboard, and several doors, walls and windows. The somber colors in most of the book portray the main character’s times of suffering, and color enters when José finds joy in his creative endeavors.

The endpages include a historical note about Limón, as well as a bibliography. Teachers and students may enjoy using some of these resources to compare the narrative story with facts and discuss the author and illustrator’s interpretations.

# 32- Grandfather’s Journey (1993)

Grandfather’s Journey (1993)

Allen Say

Biography

Caldecott Medal

Allen Say’s Caldecott- award winning book provides a view across generations of the experience of a love for two worlds. The autobiographical story follows the life of Say’s grandfather starting at the point in his life where he leaves his homeland of Japan for the United States, “wearing western clothes for the first time.”

Say draws our attention to the clothing initially and uses attire to symbolize the constant transitions from one culture back to the other. Underneath a portrait of Say’s own mother, the text reads, “But the village was not a place for a daughter from San Francisco.” The illustration depicts this as well as the intergenerational conflicts, picturing an older woman dressed in traditional Japanese garb and Say’s mother in the foreground, wearing American clothing.

The mood of the story is related through light and shading and the formal layout of the pages of Say’s tribute to his grandfather. Watercolor illustrations are framed elegantly with a thin black border extend the narrative, offering sharply contrasting images and text that portray the displacement sometimes felt by the characters and the events of the story. On page 26, a tranquil image of a soldier figure contrasts with the words “Bombs fell from the sky and scattered our lives like leaves in a storm.” Some images stand alone, such as the origami boat representing the travel from country to country that appears in the endpages and on the back cover of the book.

Students will enjoy discussing the relationship between words and images in this elegant book. Immigrant children may identify with feelings of displacement as well as the love for both countries prevalent in “Grandfather’s Journey.” They may be inspired to write their own or their parents’ experiences with two worlds. It is also interesting to note the circular narrative structure as characters go between places they love.

# 31- Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters (1994)

Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters (1994)

Authors: Patricia C. McKissack and Frederick L. McKissack

Illustrator: John Thompson

This picturebook, set in 1859, contrasts the lives of slaves and masters in this story rich with historical information. The McKissacks have included features that bring the story alive, such as the dialects, rhymes and song lyrics, recipes, and details about herbs, all of which are explained either in the text of the story or in the glossary of terms included at the end of the book.

The acrylic paintings in this richly historical book are complementary to the text, giving a realistic portrayal of events described in the story. In one image slaves are depicted scrubbing a floor from a bird’s eye perspective, a view that a master might have of them. The gravity of their chores and the depth of their troubles is also portrayed in this moving image.

The text is primarily presented in Times New Roman font, and the layout of the book is formal and mirrors the many formalities between slaves and their masters described in the book. The back cover of the jacket features the Big House with the white family in front of it with the slave quarters and the slave family pictured directly underneath. Elegant red chapter titles are Tuscan Italian, an ornamental typeface introduced in 1859.

Everything about this text is extensively researched and thus an excellent representation of two distinct perpectives. Dialogue and details in the book provide a plethora of discussion points in relation to the study of American history, providing a juxtaposition of two worlds in close proximity.

# 29- Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A story of the Young Jimi Hendrix (2010)

Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A story of the Young Jimi Hendrix (2010)

by Gary Golio

Illustrations by Javaka Steptoe

In this biography about the childhood of Jimmy Hendrix, Javaka Steptoe features several closeups that portray the astute musical personality of the artist. In the endpages of the book, Steptoe explains how he got to know Jimmy. “You have to do things they did, see the things they saw,” he relates, telling readers how he visited the elementary school the musician attended and picked up an electric guitar.

Steptoe used acrylic on plywood and created a collage to capture the sound, vibrations, look and feel of the guitars. Each spread in the book is a full page bleed rich with sounds and colors that elaborate on the details offered by Golio in the text. Some of these spreads are vertical, giving the reader a sense of Jimi’s ever-changing life and how he “moved around a lot.”

“The sounds of life were calling out, and Jimmy Hendrix wanted to answer them,” Golio narrates, pointing out the everyday sounds that Jimmy heard as music and imitated in a variety of ways. The author also points out Jimmy’s musical inspiration, such as gospel, jazz, blues, and Muddy Waters. Readers will want to listen Hendrix’s music, as well as to these influential styles and artists to gain a better sense of the artist’s experiences.

The endpages of the book feature additional information about Jimi, as well as insights into the creative processes of both author and illustrator.

# 27- Jingle Dancer (2000)

Jingle Dancer (2000)

by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Illustrated by

In this carefully crafted picturebook, Smith and illustrators collaborated to create a realistic experience marked by sound and culturally accurate imagery.

Smith relates that she and the illustrators made sure to verify that every last detail in the book was tribally specific and thus an accurate portrayal of Native American life. The dream catcher and Muskogee basket pictured in the background of the story are examples of illustrations that were modified in these efforts. Smith mentions that she wanted tribal peoples of a variety of shapes and colors to appear in the text as well. She provided illustrators with a box full of images to reference.

Watercolors in warm tones depict a modern tribal town and the sense of community apparent in the characters’ lives. Tribal women of varying generations are portrayed as nurturing parts of Jenna’s community. She borrows only one row of jingles from each woman, so that she can dance for them without silencing their own experience as tribal dancers.

# 21- Hip Hop Speaks to Children: a celebration of poetry with a beat (2008)

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: a celebration of poetry with a beat (2008)

Edited by Nikki Giovanni

Illustraters: Kristen Belouch, Michele Noiset, Jeremy Tugeau, Alicia Vergel de Dios, and Damian Ward

This celebration of poetry and song includes audio CD and features a range of artists of color, from Kanye West, Queen Latifah and Tupac Shakur to Gary Soto, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Langston Hughes.

In her introduction to the poetry collection, editor Nikki Giovanni provides historical information about the beat and spoken word, starting with a description of Roman opera performed in the square, mentioning poetry slams, and discussing the artistic barriers brought on by funding issues in schools.

Giovanni cautions young readers about modern rap videos, saying, “Don’t be fooled by the rap videos out there that exaggerate and show bad behavior. Those videos can be embarrassing and are not real.” She compares modern forms of poetry with opera, distinguishing hip-hop and operatic vernacular as “bold, boastful, and brave… because each makes us throw back our heads with laughter, not hang our heads in shame.”

The team of artists featured provide variety in the illustrations, with each page’s illustrations providing a context for students to relate to the poems featured.

This book is a goldmine for teachers, featuring a plethora of important artists that one may not otherwise place alongside each other. The endpages feature a table of contents that refers to the audio CD (some poems are read by the poet!), historical background about poetry and music, along with background information about editors, illustrators, and other contributors.

# 18- Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella (2007)

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella (2007)

Paul Fleischman

Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

This multicultural celebration re-tells a traditional tale while exposing students to images from around the world. Upon opening the bold red cover, readers are greeted upon opening the book with endpages featuring a world map labeled with the places that the illustrations take place in, some of which include the West Indies, Japan, Appalachia and México. On the back cover a framed illustration of a golden sandal with a pointed toe is featured, hinting that this is not your average Cinderella tale.

With each turn of a page a different version of Cinderella is presented within colorful frames featuring designs in white against bold, jewel-toned backgrounds befitting of a princess. At the end of the story, all of the embodiments of Cinderella and the Prince meet up with their partners, each wearing the traditional wedding garb of their cultures. The festival at the end features food from many cultures, including “cookies and custards,” “beef stew and lamb stew,” and “mangoes and melons.”

Teachers may include this book in a study of the many versions of this traditional tale available, or enjoy it on its own.

# 16- Hansel and Gretel (2009)

Hansel and Gretel (2009)

Rachel Isadora

The cut and torn paper artwork in this picturebook depict a fresh take on this traditional fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. Isadora's artwork is reminiscent of that of Eric Carle. Bright, textured shades of blue, orange, yellow, green and red make the night background and the white pebbles central to the story pop out. Instead of the dark, mysterious forest the children travel through what appears to be a rainforest alive with lizards, chimps, and other creatures.

The tale retains many of the traditional aspects of the story, including the cat sitting on the roof and the bone that Hansel uses to trick the witch. The witch in this edition is particularly treacherous, with green skin, red eyes, claws, and a long dress made of torn black paper.

Children and teachers will enjoy comparing the artwork and traditional features of this tale to other versions.

# 15- Blackout (2011)

Blackout (2011)

John Rocco

The shiny word “Blackout” stands out against the matte blue background of the night cover, just as the experience of a power outage reminds characters and readers to appreciate each others’ company.

This story from the perspective of a young girl starts on a hot summer night. The illustrations view characters from outside their windows, showing the normal routines of urban family life. The blackout gets people outside and interacting, and images depict a variety of activities going on just outside the apartment complex, such as children playing in the water from a fire hydrant and an ice cream cart giving away free ice cream. Families of different ethnicities are pictured in this book.

Rocco’s illustrations during the blackout feature colorless images representative of our loss of color perception with the absence of light. The yellow tone of the flashlight provides a reminder of the glowing light emitted by the electric applicances that are useless for these few moments. This contrasts with the joyous interactions that occur during the power outage.

Students will enjoy sharing their own tales of power outages and other occasions when they found themselves enjoying the company of loved ones.