I Am Every Good Thing

Starred review from September 7, 2020
With a refrain that reads “I am,” the creators of the award–winning Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut craft an empowering ode to Black boy joy. In metaphor-driven verse, Barnes moves from the interpersonally specific (“I am that smile forming on your face”) to the iconic (“I am a grand slam,/ bases fully loaded”), and from the naturalistic (“I am waves crashing gently on the shore”) to the historical (“I am my ancestors’ wildest dream”). Employing rich textures and jewel tones in his fine art style, James paints Black boys of varying skin tones and ages engaging in work and play, solo and in community: flying through the air in a cape, getting back up after a skateboard tumble, working with a microscope, and assisting a grandmother crossing the street. A line of uncertainty interrupts the litany, offering a somber moment: “Although I am something like a superhero,/ every now and then,/ I am afraid.” But the text quickly moves on, speaking to Black boys’ deservingness “of success,/ of respect, of safety, of kindness, of happiness.” Together, James’s energetic portraiture and Barnes’s affirming text powerfully and ecstatically convey the idea that all Black boys are “worthy/ to be loved.” Ages 3–7.

Narrator Joshua David Scarlett's confident tones match the many ebullient turns of phrase that are used to present a self-assured boy who is certain that he is capable and loved. Scarlett makes the most of Barnes's story, which includes numerous iterations of a child recognizing that although he will fall, he will be "right back on his feet again." He later acknowledges that he is strong enough to offer comfort to himself. Scarlett takes advantage of passages with built-in emphasis, adding both levity and warmth. This celebratory title will bring a smile to listeners, leaving them waiting to share it and listen to it all over again. E.J.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine