Black All Around

May 1, 2003
PreS-Gr 3-Exuberant acrylic paintings keep the pages turning in this African-American girl's imaginative ode to the color black. In both rhyming and free-form verses, she reflects on the many wondrous black objects in her world: "Crayons./Crickets./The bottom of the sea./The empty place where a tooth should be." The double-page illustrations combine imaginary scenes with more realistic moments, and show the child interacting with her brother and her parents. The storytime crowd will enjoy the dreamy artwork and playful text. The heroine's peaceful slumber at the story's end also makes for a comforting bedtime read. A satisfying addition.-Ajoke' T. I. Kokodoko, Oakland Public Library, CA

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2003
PreS-Gr. 2. The glories of the color black are clearly recounted in a pithy verse that stretches the imagination. An African American girl (who looks a lot like a young Oprah) wanders through her world and finds many wonderful things in black: the night sky, the inside of a pocket ("where surprises hide"), beetles, tuxedoes, the letters on the page of a book. And most of all, "Velvet soft / satin sleek. Daddy's arm. / Momma's cheek." Each page brings a bundle of new objects and ideas about the depth and beauty of darkness. The acrylic paintings are fresh and fanciful, full of interesting perspectives: the girl reaches her hand deep into a blue-black lake as fish glide by; she falls asleep in a comfy chair, dreaming of flying off in a rocket ship. The logical question for children alone or in a group: How many things can you think of that are black?(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)