Brothers of the Knight (1999)

 Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen (1999) is a fun story about the 12 (yes, 12) sons of The Reverend Knight. They sneak away every night for some harmless fun. Their father is "a very good man, a leader in the community, who preached a powerful sermon every Sunday." A subtle, but key, characteristic is that he doesn't allow his congregation to "do too much shoutin'. Thought it was undignified." The Reverend is puzzled by the children's messed up shoes every morning. A series of housekeepers cannot solve this puzzle. Then, a small woman dressed in bright colors and carrying very heavy luggage, shows up on their doorstep. You guessed it: enter a Mary Poppins type personality. Her name is Sunday, and like Mary, she's privy to a little magic. Unlike Mary, she leaves but then returns. Kadir Nelson's illustrations are energetic. I love how he creates 12 personalities for the 12 boys. A fun feature of this story is that the narrator is the family dog. 

*Home Place (1990)

 *Home Place by Crescent Dragonwagon (1990) has a premise that unfolds gently and leaves a powerful impact. For the first page, we see Jerry Pinkney’s distinctive style in a close up of daffodils growing in the woods. They come up every year, despite any human intervention; they were tended in the past. We know this by the remnants of a home hidden in the weeds. A couple and young girl come upon these things while on a hike. They stumbled upon history. The girl discovers “A round blue glass marble, a nail. A horseshoe and a piece of plate. A small yellow bottle. A china doll’s arm.” Pinkney offers a visual, a family of color. Dragonwagon suggests what this family was doing, once upon a time. I just love this story, perhaps because I’m old enough to have family memories. 

Duke Ellington (1998)

 Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney (1998) is the story of an amazing musician. We meet him as young Edward Kennedy Ellington who told everyone to call him Duke. “Duke’s name fit him rightly. He was a smooth-talkin’, slick-steppin’, piano-playin’ kid.” Duke was bored with traditional piano practice. But when he heard ragtime, his focus turned seriously back to the piano. Ellington soon composed his own melodies and by age 19 entertaining audiences in a variety of settings. He formed his own band, the Washingtonians. In 1927 the group got a gig at the Cotton Club in Harlem. The band grew and became Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Each band member contributed to the bands' growing popularity. In 1939, Duke hired Billy Strayhorn, and they worked as a team. This book has a brief summary and a list of sources at the back of the book. Brain Pinkney’s illustrations have a rich, colorful palette. Not my favorite, but effective just the same. 

Something, Someday (2023)

Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman (2023) describes hope becoming action and action creating change. The text is philosophical. Christian Robinson took Gorman’s  invitation to put her words into any context. As a young child of color notices a  pile of trash, the text begins: ”You are told That is not a problem. But you’re sure something is wrong.” The story validates the young child’s perspective, despite messages they receive to the contrary. This child cleans up the trash.  Two more children help transform the small space into a garden.”Together, working. Together beginning, over and over And over and over. Until you’re  no longer beginning, You’re winning.” I think this is a story with the potential for many interpretations. I look forward to seeing how other illustrators place Amanda Gorman’s universal story into a variety of contexts.

Flower Garden (1994)

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting (1994) is brought to life by illustrator Kathryn Hewitt. This book is written in rhyme. Only one sentence, in a large font size, graces each gorgeous two page spread. A young child and her mother purchase flowering plants and carry them home on the bus to their city apartment. Father and child assemble a window box that brightens up their own space and the exterior of the building. I’ll leave the motivation for you to discover. This is a book for very young readers. The characters are people of color.

Shake Rag from the Life of Elvis Presley (1998)

 Shake Rag from the Life of Elvis Presley by Amy Littelesugar (1998) is an example of why I read picture books. I hadn’t known about Elvis Presley’s childhood. His family lived on the poor side of town, and Elvis was called white trash by school kids. Shake Rag was a place, a place mostly inhabited by Blacks. It’s where Elvis heard the blues sung by his neighbors. It’s where he observed and then joined in the singing with the traveling Sanctified Church. Eventually, his family moved to Memphis, and, in 1954, nineteen-year-old Elvis auditioned for Sun Records. When he sang songs he learned in Shake Rag, history was made. Paintings by Floyd Cooper are both realism and dreamlike, a real bonus. 

Ian’s Pet (1991)

 Ian’s Pet (1991) by Delores Lowe Friedman is a clever way to teach a popular lesson, the transformation of a tadpole into a frog. I’m willing to guess you didn’t infer this surprise from the title. If you looked closely enough, you may have guessed it from the cover art. The story begins with a common theme, a child wants a pet. Ian’s class is writing, drawing, and talking about pets. Since Ian doesn’t own a pet, he writes, draws, and talks about the dinosaur he would like to have as a pet. Pretty standard fare so far. We’re still on autopilot when Ian catches a tiny fish from a pond and puts it into a bowl. He writes, draws, and talks about his fish. It’s a satisfying read when his fish turns out not to be a fish after all. Pictures by Susan Magurn are just right, especially Ian’s many drawings of his fish that grows legs.

A Boy Like You (2019)

 A Boy Like You by Frank Murphy (2019) is an example of how picture books have turned preachy. If you’re looking for a teaching text to accompany some kind of social-emotional classroom, this could be it. There’s no story here, just an illustrated rules of the road for the perfect child. Kayla Harren’s illustrations are nice enough for a to-do list. This is a large book with cover art that falsely implies this will be a story about some neighborhood or classroom of children. It’s not. It’s about the boy front and center with a puppy by his side. Apparently he is the role model for all the children behind him. 

Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson (2007)

 Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson by Sue Stauffacher (2007) is success story. On the first page we read that Gibson “was the tallest, wildest tomboy in the history of Harlem.” She played stick ball, basketball, and anything with a paddle. One day, someone recognized her potential and bought her a tennis racket. Gibson's initial attempts at tennis drew attention. A member of "the ritziest tennis club in Harlem” invited her to learn tennis with all its social complexity. It was a struggle because Althea was nothing but trouble. Nevertheless, she persisted and eventually became the first African-American to win the Wimbledon Cup. This book has an author's note at the back which expresses gratitude to the people who helped Gibson become a success story. It recommends her autobiographies I Always Wanted to be Somebody  and So Much to Live For. Also www.altheagibson.com. The illustrations by Greg Couch capture Althea Gibson’s energy. 

Do Like Kayla (1990)

 Do Like Kyla by Angela Johnson is a day in the life of two sisters. They look to be around eight and four years old. The plot is gentle. There’s no rising action or conflict to solve. There are no more than three sentences per page. The theme is simple yet significant: the younger sister copies her older sibling, Kayla. The author doesn’t give any insight into the sisters’ relationship. The text has no emotional content, which means readers are free to imagine how the sisters may feel about one another on this day. James E. Ransome’s paintings give few clues about this dynamic family relationship.

This book is read aloud online by Story Time with Kayla.

My Teachers Pay Teachers resource for this book is here. 

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre (2021)

 Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carol Boston Weatherford (2021) celebrates Black Americans’ success for much of the book. This contributes significantly to the horror when this community was destroyed in 1921. At the time, a community called Greenwood was home to a large, segregated community. Despite segregation laws, the Black section of Greenwood thrived.It had restaurants, grocery stores, furriers, libraries, a hospital and a good school system. However, when a white teen accused a Black man of assault, hatred fueled a terrible conflict. Hundreds of Blacks were killed; thousands became homeless. Floyd Cooper’s illustrations in a sepia palette remind us of a long lost newsreel. Two pages of notes by Weatherford and Cooper fill in historical context. The inside back cover is a photograph of the devastation. 

Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson (2007)

 Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson by Sue Stauffacher (2007) is success story. On the first page we read that Gibson “was is the tallest, wildest tomboy in the history of Harlem.” She played stick ball, basketball, and anything with a paddle. One day, someone recognized her potential and bought her a tennis racket. Gibson's initial attempts at tennis, drew attention. A member of "the ritziest tennis club in Harlem” invited her to learn tennis with all it social complexity. It was a struggle because Althea was nothing but trouble. Nevertheless, she persisted and eventually became the first African-American to win the Wimbledon Cup. This book has an authors note at the back expressing gratitude to the people who helped Gibson become a success story. They recommend her autobiographies I Always Wanted to be Somebody  and So Much to Live For. Also www.altheagibson.com. The illustrations ny Greg Couch capture Althea Gibson’s energy. 

Neeny Coming, Neeny Going (1996)

 Neeny Coming, Neeny Going  by Karen English won the Coretta Scott King Award. An introduction "To the Reader" says that the setting for this story is Daufuskie Island off the coast of South Carolina. It's was home to a culture "that blended American and West African customs. The language, too, was a blend of African and English". This is a story about change for this island. 

Neeny is a cousin who moved off island to live with her mother. Her mother "works for a high-class family in Charleston" and Neeny has shed her island ways and adopted a more sophisticated outlook on life. Several pages begin the story with the main character super excited that her cousin Neeny is visiting. But the exceitement fades as Neeny shows no interest in participating in island activities. The text is a dialect of English I'm not familiar with. It adds to the overal atmosphere of being on island. At the end of the story, "Neeny come like a visitor who didn't want to visit..." 

Paintings by Synthia Saint James add color to the story. I'm wondering if her style, with its lack of detail,  complements the fading island culture.

Mr. George Baker (2004)

 Mr. George Baker by Amy Hest illustrated by John J Muth (2004) is a book I read several years ago. I thought it was quite clever at that time. The end surprised me, as I suppose it was meant to. But as I read it now, I have too many questions. I want to know where a white boy lives next-door to a black family. I want to know more about the history of Mr. George Baker. While it's adorable that he and his wife dance on the porch, I'm left wondering where they danced when they were younger. The story teases us by suggesting that George Baker is a famous drummer. Maybe he’s someone I’m supposed to know. The ending puzzles me now when I look at the other (light skinned) people in George Baker‘s adult classroom. I jump to the conclusion that they're learning English as a second language while Mr. Baker was denied the opportunity to read. I suppose this book has all  information a young child needs to know, and I’m responding as an adult. 

Christmas Makes Me Think (2001)

Christmas Makes Me Think by Tony Medina reminds readers that Christmas is a time for helping others. It’s a brief story in which a child redefines the holiday.  Medina’s main character challenges the tradition to decorate a cut evergreen and dine on ham and turkey. Some children don’t have toys, and not everyone has food and shelter. This child notices the world around them and thinks of ways to share the holiday differently. Chandra Cox's illustrations are as minimal yet effective as the text. 

Honestly, it took several readings for me to appreciate this very short story. I was unfamiliar with the choice of a single run-on sentence on each page. I longed for punctuation. Cox's illustrations seemed so basic as to have phoned them in. But then I noticed the clarity of the main character's expressions. Cox captures the concept of thinking in both facial expression and gesture in her cover art. The child appears both questioning and skeptical as he looks over at a decorated tree. He's surprized and dismayed to discover that Christmas trees are cut down from a tree farm. His face shows wonder at homeless people while his friend is head down playing a video game. This book is minimalist and powerful. 

This book is read aloud online by Sarah Sabbatini.

My Picture Book Talk for this story is here. 

Tar Beach (1991)

 Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. I cannot relate. Nothing I can say will do justice to this story.

Flossie & the Fox (1986)

 Flossie and the Fox by Patricia C. McKissack is a story I’m unqualified to discuss in detail. It’s written in a dialect of English I’m not familiar with. It’s the illustrations by Rachel Isadora that caught my attention.On the cover, Flossie and the fox have convincing expressions of pranksters. Isadora captures Flossie’s spunky personality. She must take eggs to Miz Viola, which means walking through the woods. The fox is waiting in the woods to help himself to the eggs. Flossie outwits  the fox with hilarious dialogue. She’s as  shrewd as they come and succeeds in delivering her basket.  I love the final illustration. Flossie breaks the forth wall and simply radiates joy as reveals her genius.

Jazz on a Saturday Night (2007)

 Jazz on a Saturday Night  by Leo & Diane Dillon is a powerfully succinct rhyme that invites readers into the emotional world of jazz music. The illustrations are suitable for students of any age. An introduction at the beginning of the book and thumbnail biographies at the back of the book add a nonfiction component to the book.

Jazz greats gather to heat up a Saturday night with some cool jazz: Miles Davis on trumpet, Max Roach on drums, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane on sax, Thelonious Monk on piano, a guest guitarist, Stanley Clark on bass, and Ella Fitzgerald singing bebop. This book begs readers to learn more about these master musicians.

Young readers will see the audience’s joyful response to the music. Older readers can venture more deeply into emotional territory with conversation about how jazz fills the soul. Music enthusiasts will know better than I how to take full advantage of this marvelous book.

This book is read aloud online by Patrick Thames.

My Picture Book Talk lesson for this story is here. 

Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane (2008)

Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane is a soulful introduction to the childhood of a jazz legend. Carol Boston Weatherford focuses on the  auditory. Her pages describe the sounds in John Coltrane's world: the ukulele, steam engine, dance, big band, and more. These references invite—demand—that the reader learn relevant  history to fully appreciate this succinct text. Her story rewards those who expand their background knowledge about John Coltrane and the 1930s. 

The lengthy Author's Note, Selected Listening, and Further Reading references at the end of the book will appeal to the middle grade reader. Sean Qualls succeeds in representing sound.  His illustrations are not childish and so respect the older reader. 

My Picture Book Talk lesson is here.  This lesson includes several links to YouTube videos to whet the appetite of children curious about John Coltrane's music. I watched the documentary Chasing Train on a streaming service; however, it is also available through my library network. 

This story is read aloud online by INDY E.C.H.O. OURStory Time. 

The Story of Ruby Bridges (1995)

 

The Story of RubyBridges  by Robert Coles is a succinct and accessible story about the young girl who single-handedly integrated a Mississippi elementary school. The narrative is flavored with dialogue to help us engage with the events. Federal marshals escorted Ruby Bridges past angry protesters into an empty classroom. White families kept their children at home. Her teacher, Mrs. Henry wondered how Ruby came to school day after day, relaxed and ready to learn. The story implies that Ruby persevered through family and community support--and through prayer. She prayed for God to forgive the protesters. 

George Ford’s illustrations are mostly browns and pinks. They successfully show a determined and faithful Ruby Bridges.