Multicultural Review: African American Children’s Books

                There have been many books written on the history of African Americans.  It is easy to find books on slavery, the first free African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement; however, while history is important, it is also important to understand the current lives of a cultural group.  The following collection of five children’s books represents the diversity within the modern African American culture.  It is important for a library to own these books, or similar items, because there is no one story that can represent a group people.  A variety of stories about people in different situations, and with different lifestyles, is necessary to present a realistic view of a cultural group, and to prevent children from believing stereotypes.    

Each of these stories was chosen because it presents a picture of modern African Americans, but each protagonist leads a very different life and has very different goals.  These books were chosen because they show success and tragedy, hope and sadness.  The books chosen represent a range of genres as well as emotions.  Two books of poetry, two works of fiction and one biography were chosen.  Some of these books were chosen because the author’s are well-known for writing excellent African American literature, while others were chosen because the subject matter was unique and they added variety to the collection.   While the books have many differences, they are similar because they all were written in the last five years, and all of these works show how African Americans live today.

Grimes, Nikki. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2008.

Barack Obama is arguably one the most powerful African Americans in the world.  Because of his great success, his story is one that should be shared with children in order to inspire them to realize their dreams.   This book spreads the hope and promise that Obama represents, and teaches children that they should not set limits on their dreams.  The story is intended for children ages 4-8.

The biography opens with a mother telling her young son about Barack Obama.  The book then moves to using free verse flashbacks of Obama’s life, with short interjections from the child who is being told the story.  While each verse focuses on a different aspect of Obama’s life, they all share common themes, and one of those themes is embracing multiculturalism. 

The story begins by mentioning that Obama himself is biracial, because his mother is white and his father is black. The story then goes on to mention the diverse set of playmates he had as child growing up in Hawaii and during his time in Indonesia.  The book even confronts the harsh realities of racism, and how he felt caught in the middle of racial issues because he is biracial.

While the idea of embracing multiple identities and coming together as a nation are strongly embedded in this book, they are not the only themes.  This book teaches children to work hard, to focus on education and to dream.  These ideas are emphasized by the geometric collages that blend many ideas and images into one picture.  Each image blends seamlessly with the corresponding verse, and this allows younger children to understand the importance of the text.

If the reader still wants to know more about Barack Obama after reading this story there is a list of important dates and a family tree that allow the reader to put his life in perspective and to get more details on the characters.  This book is both educational and beautiful, and it should be included in all modern library collections.

Goldberg, Whoopi. Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Perfectly Prima. New York: Hyperion Books, 2010.

This book proves that some celebrity writers can write books that are thoughtful and substantial.  While many people will be drawn to this book because Whoopi Goldberg’s name is on the cover and they expect a good laugh, they will also find that this book is not simply about telling jokes, but about telling a real and heartwarming story.  This book is the third book in this successful series, and is intended for children ages 4-8.

Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Perfectly Prima is a unique tale about African American triplets who all go to ballet school.  One of the triplets, Jerzey Mae, is obsessed with becoming a prima ballerina and she wants to be just like her idol, Camilla Freeman, the first professional African American ballerina.  Unfortunately, Jerzey Mae tends to fall more than glide during ballet class.  Both of her sisters, JoAnn and Jessica, are much better at ballet than Jerzey Mae is, and Jerzey Mae begins to feel like a failure.

In order to become a successful ballerina Jerzey Mae tries several unusual and impractical methods that will definitely make child readers chuckle.   Her many attempts to improve her skills end in failure and Jerzey Mae is mocked by her sisters and friends, and she endures humiliation in front of Camilla Freeman.   Even though Jerzey Mae suffers disappointment and humiliation, she is able to pick herself up and continue to practice after finding help in an unexpected place.

This book would be an excellent addition to any library or personal collection because of its blend of laughter and hope.    Also, the story presents a unique view of the current African American middle class that should be shared with children.   However, while the content of this book is excellent, the cover does seem to promote a different view than the story.

The cover of this book shows a white ballerina in a fancy purple outfit in the center, while two African American ballerinas are on either side of her. Considering that his book is about three young African American girls, it seems peculiar that the main character featured in the center of the cover is white.  Also, the white ballerina has a more elaborate outfit on and seems to stand out more than other two girls, which contradicts the message the book promotes about all girls being able to succeed in the ballet world regardless of race.  It is unfortunate the cover negates the purpose of the story, because this is a superb story.  Goldberg did an excellent job with the writing of this book and it will be enjoyed by many young girls; the quality of the story should not be overlooked because the publishers chose an improper and insensitive cover.   However, the publishers should reconsider their cover art for any future editions.

Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Ninth Ward. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010.

The Ninth Ward is one of few stories that has been able to successfully blend fact with fantasy.  While most people are aware of the destruction reeked by Hurricane Katrina, and many survivor’s tales have been recounted on the news, Ninth Ward brings a new twist to this tragedy by blending the Voodoo magic of New Orleans’s culture with its greatest tragedy.   This book is intended for children ages 9-12, and it is an excellent way to introduce them to one of America’s recent tragedies.

Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans with Mama Ya-Ya, her guardian.  Lanesha’s mother died giving birth to her, and her biological family lives in a ritzier part of New Orleans and wants nothing to do with her.   Part of the her family’s avoidance may be due to their unhappiness with Lanesha’s mother having a baby at seventeen, and it may also be due to Lanesha’s special sight.

Lanesha was born with the ability to see ghosts.  She sees them on her way to school, at the store, and she even sees the ghost of her mother on Mama Ya-Ya’s bed.  Lanesha’s special ability makes her an outcast at school; therefore, she struggles with rejection from both her classmates and her biological family.   

Lanesha’s struggles come to a head as Hurricane Katrina rolls in.  She has only Mama Ya-Ya to take care of her, and Mama Ya-Ya is very old and weak.  Lanesha soon realizes that she needs to rely on herself and prepare for the storm.   Shortly after the storm hits an unexpected visitor arrives and Lanesha realizes that she needs to be strong and help them all survive.

Ninth Ward is an emotional and surprisingly realistic story.  It would be a great addition to any collection because it presents a unique perspective on recent history.  This story not only shows how terrifying Katrina was, but also how strong the people of the Ninth Ward are.  This story shows a girl who can embrace her heritage and her neighborhood.  It shows a girl who can survive, even under the most trying circumstances.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Peace, Locomotion. New York: Putnam, 2009.

Jacqueline Woodson is known for her gritty realism and honest portrayals of African American culture.  In Peace, Locomotion, Woodson tells the tale of Lonnie, a twelve-year-old boy who lives with a foster family. Lonnie is heartbroken over the fact that he and his younger sister Lili were sent to live in separate foster homes after their parents died. 

In order to cope with their separation Lonnie writes letters to his sister in order to document their experiences while growing-up.  The novel is entirely comprised of this letters, making this a deeply personal and moving story.  Each letter Lonnie writes shows not just how much he misses his sister, but how much he struggles with guilt over  the fact that he loves his new foster family.

While most stories about children in foster care deal with how much hardship they endure and how angry they feel, this story breathes new life into the situation by showing a child who is living with a poor foster family, but he loves it.  Woodson’s epistolary style allows the reader to see how happy Lonnie is with his foster family, and how he thrives.  Lonnie is not only happy, but he is also successful.  He is known in school as the great poet of his class, and he dreams of being a professional writer someday.

While Woodson’s story explores the depth of pain Lonnie feels while separated from his sister, and the happiness he feels at his acceptance into a new family, she also goes beyond the family unit and discusses the major issues our country is dealing with today.  Lonnie’s oldest foster brother returns from the war in Iraq crippled and angry.  His anger and his attempt to integrate himself back into society are important subplots that cause Lonnie to think about life’s big issues and to look beyond himself and his struggles.

Peace, Locomotion is a lyrically beautiful story that explores many contemporary issues and will inspire readers of all ages.  This story is firmly grounded in a powerful protagonist who has a strong voice, and who will lead readers on a journey of self-discovery and self-reflection.  It is a must-have for any collection.

Smith, Hope Anita. Keeping the Night Watch. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2008.

Keeping the Night Watch is a book of poetry aimed at children ages 10-13.  This touching and lyrical volume is Hope Anita Smith’s second volume of poetry for children, and the book was a Coretta Scott King Author Honor book in 2009. 

C.J., the narrator of the book, is a high school student trying to find his place within his family’s changing dynamic. The book begins with a series of angry and bitter poems aimed at C.J’s recently returned father.  His father had left the family for emotional reasons and has now returned to claim his place as the head of the household.  C.J.’s complex emotions over his father’s sudden return unravel in series of free verse poems that show how sad, angry and bitter he feels about his father’s ability to come and go from his life. 

Each of the poems in the first section of the book gives the reader a different view of how C.J.’s father’s absence affected the whole family.  While C.J. and his brother Byron feel uncontrollable anger towards their father, his mother, grandmother and sister seem more willing to forgive and forget.  However, even the women of the family are afraid that he may leave again.  A particularly touching poem, “Pretending”, discusses how C.J’s sister, Zuri, names her new cat Stay because she is so afraid of someone in her life leaving her again (6).

                While the first section of the book is filled with poems of anger, the second half of the book is a bit lighter.  In this section C.J. has lost some of his bitterness towards his father, and he falls in love for the first time.  Several poems explore the complex adolescent rituals that accompany growing-up and beginning to show interest in the opposite sex.   Through these poems the reader watches as C.J. develops a crush, contemplates how to handle it, and tries to decide if he is ready to admit his feelings and begin dating. 

                While this book contains beautiful poems that can stand alone, the addition of the subtle, dark watercolor and ink illustrations add another layer of emotion to the text.  Dark, blurry watercolors accompany the angry, bitter poems, while light, simple illustrations are paired with the love poems.  The combination of the poetry and art works well here and they help the reader understand the emotions of the poems.  This book is a must-read for all preteens, and should be included in all junior high libraries.