Poetry Friday: The Blacker the Berry

Title:  The Blacker the Berry 

Author:  Joyce Carol Thomas 

Illustrator: Floyd Cooper 

Target Ages:  3 and up 

Awards: Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators, Coretta Scott King Award for Authors (nominated), ALA Notable Children’s Book 

Genre:  Poetry Picture Book 

Publisher Summary: 
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. 

Poem Samples: 
“What Shade Is Human?"
 At breakfast

I pour milk all over my bowl of berries

And Grandpa says,

“It's the milk of kindness

that makes us human.”

“Yes, Papa," I answer,

and he continues:

"White milk

Chocolate milk

Sweet milk

Mother’s milk.”

I nod between bites of berries

because

My mother long ago

When she nursed me my first milk

Said, “You are beautiful,”

And I heard her.

“The Blacker the Berry"
 “The blacker the berry

the sweeter the juice.”

I am midnight and berries

I call the silver stars at dusk

By moonrise they appear

And we turn berries into nectar

Because I am dark the moon and stars

shine brighter

Because berries are dark the juice is sweeter

Day couldn’t dawn without the night

Colors, without black, couldn’t sparkle

quite as bright

“The blacker the berry

the sweeter the juice”

I am midnight and berries 

Evaluation:  
The poems have a couple significant connections.  

First, the berry metaphor is used throughout in creative and poignant ways.   For instance, one speaker is her “great-grandma’s raspberry color,” her “grandma’s blackberry cheeks,” and her “mama’s mulberry mouth.”  Another child refers to himself as “raspberry black” because he is part Native Indian and part African American.  Each use of color—shades of dark—reflects the child’s heritage and instills confidence.

Second, the poems reflect the diversity within the African-American community.  Colors range from deep black like coffee berries to “light as snowberries in fall.”  Many of the children are mixed race.  Each child recognizes his or her uniqueness and beauty.   

Finally,  the poems instill pride in children (and adults) of color.  In “Snowberries,” the child  speaker wants to be “black as midnight” so she isn’t made fun of for her “snowy skin.”  She comes to realized that if she bleeds “the one drop of blood” she is just as “Black” as a dark skinned person.  Another child declares she “feels absolutely fabulous to be this brown.”  In the final poem, it says: “Each color is rich in its own right/We come in all shades.”

Floyd Cooper’s illustrations enrich the diversity, beauty, and pride that exude from each poem.  Each two-page spread shows the sparkle, radiance, and musing of the children as they contemplate their heritage and individuality.  

The Blacker the Berry is a stunning collection of poems and art.  

This post is part of the Poetry Friday link up hosted by My Juicy Little Universe.

 

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belphré

Title:  Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belphré

Author:  Anika Aldamuy Denise

Illustrator:   Paola Escobar

Target Ages:  4 and up

Genre:  Picture Book Biography

Publisher Summary: 

Follow la vida y el legado of Pura Belphré, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City.  When she came to America in 1921, Pura carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland.  Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistance, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land.  Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy. 

First Lines:

It is 1921.

Pura Teresa Belphré leaves her home in San Juan

for a visit to Nueva York.

Words travel with her:

stories her abuela taught her.

Cuentos folklóricos Pura retold in the shade of a tamarind tree,

in Puerto Rico.

Memorable Moment:

The seeds she has planted,

the roots that grew shoots into

the open air of possibility,

have become a lush landscape

into which she steps, as though she has never left.

Evaluation:

Pura Belphré story is inspirational.  As an immigrant, she finds her own version of the American dream.  As a storyteller and writer, she encourages others to read, to imagine, and to soar.  As a woman, she is devoted to her husband and her passion. People of all ages will be moved by her story.

As a picture book biography, Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belphré is exemplary.  Author Anika Aldamuy Denise's use of language and her story telling skills capture the imagination.  At no time did I feel I was reading a non-fiction biography.  Instead, I felt I was traveling along on Pura’s captivating journey. 

Paola Escobar’s illustrations are stunning. The colors, the energy, the details are perfect in every way. 

If you read one picture book biography, make it this one! 

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Literature:  Read Puerto Rican folktales from an anthology or picture book retellings.
• Figurative Language: Teach or review what a metaphor is. Discuss how the writer uses the extended metaphor of plants/planting.  Why do you think the author used that metaphor?  How does it add to the story?  What other metaphors might have worked?
• Dramatic Play:  Put on a puppet show using one of the Puerto Rican folktales or ones the children are familiar with.  
• Context Clues:  Use context clues to figure out the meaning of Spanish words used in place of English words.

For more great picture book suggestions, head over for the Perfect Picture Book Link Up.

Visit Kid Lit Frenzy for more Non-Fiction selections. 

Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Jonah Winter)

Title:  Lillian’s Right to Vote:  A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Author:  Jonah Winter

Illustrator:  Shane W. Evans

Target Ages:  5 and up

Genre:  Narrative Non-Fiction Picture Book

Publisher Summary: 

Celebrate the momentous law enacted fifty years ago—the voting rights act of 1965—with this powerful and moving picture book.

What if you had to pass a test or answer impossible questions like “how many bubbles are in a bar of soap?” before you were allowed to vote?

Or imagine being forced to pay a special tax before you could cast your ballot.

And how would it feel to be chased by an angry mob—by people in your own town—just for trying to vote?

This is the story of Lillian’s family—and so many other African Americans—who, after generations of discrimination, triumphed over injustice thanks to a law that protected every American’s right to vote.

First Lines:

A very old woman stands at the bottom of a very steep hill.  It’s Voting Day.  She’s an American, and by God, she is going to vote.  Lillian is her name. 

It’s a long haul up that steep hill.  It’s a long haul when you’ve been alive for a hundred years. It’s a long haul when you’ve lived the life that Lillian has—and walked so far in her shoes.  When Lillian looks up, it’s more than blue sky she sees.  She sees history. 

Historical References and Story Overview

As Lillian walks up a steep hill to vote, she recalls the struggle her family went through before African-Americans finally had the right and freedom to vote.  Though the story is specific to her personal and familial experience, it parallels the trials millions endured.

It begins with her great great grandparents standing on the slave block being sold in front of the courthouse she is walking toward.  Next, her great-grandpa Edmund is a slave picking cotton from dawn to dusk.  He does not have the right to vote or to do much of anything else until after the Civil War and the 15^th Amendment is passed—giving all male citizens the right to vote regardless of race or previous condition of servitude.  With pride, Edmond votes in his first election.

Just 20 years later, her grandpa Isaac is prevented from voting due to a poll tax.  Lillian, also, recalls her uncle Levi who is forced to take a “test” with ridiculous questions like how many bubbles are in a bar of soap or what are the names of all 67 state judges.  He is turned away because he fails to answer such questions. 

She sees a brave young woman with her family trying to register after the 19^th Amendment is passed.  They are chased away by an angry crowd. Another time, she is turned away because she cannot write down on a blank sheet of paper a section of the Constitution.  The woman in this memory is Lillian, herself. 

A funeral procession is shown for a man who dies in a peaceful protest as he seeks justice—and the right to vote.  Then, she remembers the civil rights protesters led by Martin Luther King, Jr. as they march and pray and dream of justice.

Finally, Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  His famous words are memorialized, “Every American citizen must have equal right to vote…there is no duty which weighs more heavily on us than the duty we have to ensure that right.”

Evaluation:

I could not wait to register to vote! As soon as I turned eighteen, I did. I was away at college when the next presidential election came around, but I voted via absentee ballot. I don’t recall my family talking much about politics or voting.  Nevertheless, I knew it was vital to register, to stay informed, and to vote.

However, only between 50-60% of the eligible voters exercise this vital civic duty and inalienable right—a right that millions fought and died for.  During her walk Lillian sees a young man and asks if he is going to vote.  He says, “Yes, ma’am.”  She tells him, “You better.”  Throughout the story, Lillian exemplifies a strong sense of dignity and pride at being able to vote, which will resonate with people of all ages as they learn the immense hardships she endured for that freedom.

Framing the story around both Lillian’s present day voting act and her journey up a hill is an effective technique.  Despite her advanced age and the physical hardship of the climb, she does not quit—even when the hill gets steeper.  At one point, she looks up to the top of the hill and wonders if she will make it.  As she becomes weary from the climb, she keeps going “footstep by footstep.” Lillian epitomizes perseverance and strength to not allow challenges to deter her. 

Furthermore, I love the metaphor of the climb.  On a literal level she is climbing to the top of the hill to vote. On a metaphorical one, it demonstrates how African Americans like her have had an uphill battle to secure this fundamental right.

One of the most powerful contrasts is between the singing birds and smiling people of the present and the burning cross and angry mobs of the past.  In another instance, the metaphors of light (sun) and darkness are used.  These and other images help build an emotional appeal for participating in this vital community act. 

The illustrations focus on Lillian and her visions of the past, depicted as ghost-like figures—struggling and fighting for justice.  She realizes that because of all the sacrifice of the men and women before her, it is her duty to vote and to let her voice be heard. She thinks to herself, As long as I still have a pulse, I am going to vote.

I highly recommend Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights At of 1965.  This powerful and poignant story provides vital context and history in the struggle for the right to vote.

A VERY Biased Author's Note

Unfortunately, the author adds historically biased and untrue information as a resource for educators and parents in the author’s note.  He moves from historical remembrance to propaganda device.

First, Winter states that white voters in the south left the Democratic Party for the Republican Party due to racism.  This Southern Strategy myth is just that, a myth.  By including it in his book, he is not so subtly stating:  Republicans are racist.  Watch HERE for a short video about on this myth (includes a link under the video of facts and sources).  

Second, the author mixes facts with politics when discussing voter suppression.  No one denies that the awful literacy tests and unfair poll taxes that some politicians in southern Democratic strongholds used for the purpose of denying the vote to African-Americans were unjust. However, Winter uses the issue as a springboard to undermine the voter ID issue. He states that voter ID laws are meant to “deny many Americans a basic right—a right for which so many courageous people fought and died.”  This emotionally manipulative argument equates the aforementioned tests and taxes with the voter ID requirements conservatives advocate for today. The evidence used is the difficulty that “the poor and the elderly” suffer to get an ID.  He encourages “a new generation” to “rise and continue” the fight against this unfair practice. 

Once again Winter depicts Republicans as racist, in this case, for wanting a voter ID law. The only reason anyone wants this law is to prevent voter fraud.  Everything from flying on a plane to cashing a check requires an ID.  No one claims the airline or the bank is attempting suppression by requiring an ID. In addition, I do not know anyone—Republican or Democrat—who would not help a poor or elderly person get a needed ID.  Nor are there any groups or government entities standing in the way of the poor and elderly getting an ID. In conclusion, the voter ID movement of today has no connection to the Jim Crow Laws of the past.

What is more unfair—people voting illegally or everyone being provided with an ID and an opportunity to vote once? 

Both parties want fair elections. Both parties want equality and justice. Painting one party as racist monsters standing in the way of those things undermines an otherwise worthwhile picture book. 

Five Fab Picture Books Celebrating Hair

I Love My Hair!

Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, author

E. B. Lewis, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Every night before she goes to bed, Keyana sits down between her mother’s knees to have her hair combed. But no matter how gently Mama pulls, it sometimes still hurts!  Keyana doesn’t feel lucky to have such a head of hair, but Mama says she is because she can wear it any way she chooses…Soon Keyana, too, finds reasons to love her hair, and she wears it any way she chooses with pride.

Why It’s Fabulous:

Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of her hair (how difficult it can be to manage at times), the young protagonist finds freedom in the various ways she can style it.  Along the way, she discovers a renewed pride in her ethnic heritage.  The text includes many comparisons such as her braids to plants in a garden and her ponytails to a pair of wings, which adds to the creativity and beauty of this empowering story.

Princess Hair

Sharee Miller, author and illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Princesses with curls wear pearls.

Princesses with head wraps take long naps

And princesses with teeny-weeny afros wear teeny-weeny bows.

Celebrate different hair shapes, textures, and styles in this self-affirming picture book!

Why It’s Fabulous:

No matter what style of hair a girl dons, she should feel confident in herself.  With its snappy text and animated illustrations, Princess Hair affirms that message.  The story also celebrates the various other ways young girls express themselves—singing, dancing, thinking, baking, playing, running, drawing, dressing up, and such.  This vibrant story celebrates all girls, with a special emphasis on the unique hairstyles of African-American girls. 

Bippity Bop Barbershop

Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, author

E. B. Lewis, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Early one Saturday morning, Miles and his father make a trip downtown for Miles first haircut at the barbershop.  As Miles nervously waits his turn, the other men in the shop encourage him to be brave.  But Miles isn’t sure how to be brave.  Will the clippers hurt? What if the barber cuts his ear?  Daddy comforts Miles and shares a little trick with him that helps to calm his fears.

Why It’s Fabulous:

The story works on multiple levels.  First, the narrative focuses on a boy’s rite of passage as he gets his first haircut at the barbershop.  The community of men is there to model and to encourage him in this meaningful early childhood event.  On another level, the story is one of a youngster feeling empowered to overcome his fear.  I love how his father is there to give him advice and to support him.  His father encourages him to imagine he is a giant or a superhero to help him feel brave.  The most memorable aspect of the book is the relationship between the father and son. To help him feel more confident, the young boy thinks about his father and his response to the situation. The boy is brave because he has seen his father be brave.   I love this story, which shows the immeasurable power and influence a father has on his children, especially his son. 

Nappy Hair

Carolivia Herron, author

Joe Cepeda, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Everybody at the backyard picnic is talking about little Brenda’s hair—it’s the nappiest, the curliest, the twistiest hair in the whole family.

Brenda, you sure do got some nappy hair on your head, don’t you?

Well.

It’s your hair, Brenda, take the cake.

Yep.

And come back and get the plate.

Don’t cha know.

While it seems that the family is poking fun at Brenda’s hair, in fact, they’re admiring it by uncovering its meaning, its strength, it African-ness. 

Why It’s Fabulous:

Brenda is surrounded by extended family and friends that encourage her to have pride in her heritage.  Rather than feeling like she has to style her hair a particular way, she learns to appreciate it for what it is in its natural form.  The simple call and response text makes it ideal for listener participation. The rhythmic text draws readers in until the very last line.  This exuberant celebration of natural African-American hair encourages children to be true to themselves.

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

Derrick Barnes, author

Gordon C. James

Publisher Summary:

The barbershop is where the magic happens. Boys go in as lumps of clay and, with princely robes draped around their shoulders, a dab of cool shaving cream on their foreheads, and a slow, steady cut, they become royalty. That crisp yet subtle line makes boys sharper, more visible, more aware of every great thing that could happen to them when they look good: lesser grades turn into A’s; girls take notice; even a mother’s hug gets a little tighter. Everyone notices.

A fresh cut makes boys fly.

Why It’s Fabulous:
The barbershop is shown as place where young men “begin to care about how [they] present [themselves] to the world.”  The rich poetic language pulls you right in.  Metaphors like “lump of clay, a blank canvas, a slab or marble” add vividness and value to the experience. Being draped “like royalty” with a cape gives him the self-assurance of “Dark Caesar.”  His haircut, also, gives him confidence to do well in school—“to smash that geography exam” and “rearrange the entire principal’s honor roll.” Different haircuts, styles, and men are celebrated. As he sees others getting their hair cuts, he envisions one as a “CEO of a tech company” and another as if “he owns a few acres of land on Saturn.  Maybe there’s a river named after him on Mars.”  The narrator’s haircut makes him feel beautiful, like flowers and sunsets.  He compares his feeling to receiving “a bright red 97” on an English test. In the end as he tips the barber, he walks out he feels “Magnificent. Flawless. Like royalty.” The story ultimately illustrates “the beautiful, raw, smart, perceptive, assured humanity of black boys.”

The Whopper (by Rebecca Ashdown)

Title:  The Whopper

Author: Rebecca Ashdown

Illustrator:  Rebecca Ashdown

Target Ages: 4-8

Genre:  Imaginative Realistic Fiction

Publisher Summary:  A humorous, quirky story about a little boy who tells a lie, which turns into the Whopper, a hungry and persistent monster.  As Percy’s guilt grows, the Whopper does, too, until finally…the Whopper EATS Percy!  It is only when the Whopper threatens to also eat Percy’s brother that Percy finally speaks up.

First Lines:  Boris and Percy loved it when Grandma came to stay.  There was just one problem.  Grandma had been knitting again. 

Memorable Moment:  The next day, Percy decided to send his grandma a letter to say that he was sorry for ruining the sweater.  A week later, a package arrived.  Percy loved getting packages.  There was just one problem…Grandma had been knitting again.

Evaluation: 

The Whopper is a whimsical combination of realistic fiction with some imagination. The characters and storyline are familiar and realistic.  A boy receives a present he does not like.  In his mischief, the gift is ruined.  The boy lies.  The imagination part is the Whopper character.  No one sees it but Percy and his brother (who knows he is lying). 

The monster is perfect.  He looks relatively harmless.  Most lies start off that way or at least they seem that way.  Slowly the monster gets bigger and bigger, even sleeping in Percy’s bed with him.  The parallel is clear—you cannot escape the web of a lie, and it is only going to get worse.  It does too!  The lie swallows Percy whole!  Again, the connection is vital. Lying can easily become foundational in a person’s character or eat away at his conscience.

Eventually, the monster tries to eat his brother.  It is the final prick to Percy's conscience.  He tells his mother the truth.  Again, nothing preachy here.  His mother praises him for telling the truth “at last” (clearly, she knew he was lying but waited for him to admit it).  Then, she makes him take responsibility (apologizing to his grandmother).

Writing books on moral issues, such as lying, is a challenge.  There is a real temptation toward tedious moralizing.  Author-illustrator Rebecca Ashdown clearly and effectively makes the point:  Lying is destruction to you and your loved ones.  However, the story never feels like a "lesson."

Lying to get out of trouble often seems like the easy way out.  Learning that getting in a little trouble is so much better than carrying a lie around or making dishonesty a habit is vital.  The Whopper is an outstanding picture book to illustrate that truth in a concrete and memorable way.

Ideas for Extension Activities at Home or Lesson Plans for Teachers:

• Unwanted Gifts:  Inevitably, a child will receive a less than desirable gift from someone.  If it hasn't happened already, use the book to prompt a talk about the importance of gratitude and graciousness in those situations.
• Reality vs. Fantasy:  This story is ideal to practice distinguishing the two.  While Percy’s story is real, the monster is a fantasy.  It is a metaphor representing the lie and its destructive nature. Discuss why the author uses the monster to represent the lie. 
• Object Lesson:  There are several object lesson ideas online about lying that you could potentially use.  Objects such as fool’s gold, ice cream with salt, and a spider web are just a few ways to get across the impact of lying in a concrete way.
• Article:  How to Teach Kids to Stop Lying article provides insights into the problem and how to fix it, depending on the age of the child.
• Teaching Children About Honesty w/Free Printable Worksheets

For more Perfect Picture Book suggestions, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog round up.