Beautiful Blackbird Written and Illustrated by Ashley Bryan (Award Winner), Essay Example

Blackbird is a fantastic story that portrays blacks as unique, influential people in society by using birds that make it fit for people of all ages.

Review

Beautiful Blackbird shared the story of birds when there was only one specific bird, the black Blackbird, yet all the other birds had solid colors with feathers that had no patterns. Amazingly, the rest of the birds were marveled by Blackbird’s color that they agreed that he was the most beautiful of them all. Blackbird amazed them the more when the bird presented the colored birds with his pattern of medicine.  The new patterns of Blackbird amaze the birds that they sing a chorus praising Blackbird. This story is a masterpiece that is worth being read aloud to ache its rhythms. The illustrations are full of creativity and color, especially from the beauty and new designs of Blackbird. Beautiful Blackbirds metaphorically speak of a race that embraces the blacks both for their color and culture.

The Middle Passage: White Ships Black Cargo by Tom Feelings (Award Winner)

This is the most detailed book on the slave trade I have ever come across. The details and description it gives are so specific, and one can empathize with blacks’ experiences during the age of the slave trade.

Review

The Middle passage reveals the torture and oppression that African Americans went through on the Atlantic Ocean as they were being shipped to America. Thousands of Africans died on this journey. Blacks were made to bathe on their urine and vomit. The women and young girls were raped, yet they could not speak for themselves. The Europeans demeaned The Africans as a people and even their culture. This book is so intense in its details, yet it is a wordless book. The art used speaks even louder than words would do, making the book a masterpiece of conveying vital information about the slave trade.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (Award Winner)

I chose this book because growing up, it was the first book my mother read to me. I loved it so much that I still consider it crucial as a teaching resource on lies.

Review

Mosquitoes Buzz is a fantastic artwork for children that has beautiful cutouts and is written in Indian ink. In this story, a mosquito lied to a lizard to put sticks in his ear to frighten other animals. It becomes chaotic due to the fear in most animals when they see the lizard, and in the long run, an owlet is killed. When the owl gets to know about the death, he refuses to wake the sun until the one who killed the owlet is known and held accountable. The mosquito hides to avoid punishment when he learns about the search explaining why he buzzes on peoples’ ears, trying to determine if people are still angry. This story is exciting and straightforward, especially for children. Not only does it give a mythical explanation of why mosquitoes buzz, but it also teaches the effect of lying.

The Day Gogo Went to Vote: South Africa by Elinor Batezat Sisulu, Illustrated by Sharon Wilson (Award Winner)

This is an uplifting story on the African freedom of voting. It is so sad that in the 21st generation, people, especially the youth, ignore voting without realizing how important it is.

Review

After years of struggle in South Africa for the freedom of voting, in 1994, Gogo voted in a democratic election. The 100-year-old woman surprised her granddaughter and the people at large when she decided to vote. Many people celebrated her both at the ballot station and her home. This story plays a vital role in describing the importance of democratic elections in South Africa, even for readers who are not familiar with South Africa’s history.

Let It Shine Written and Illustrated by Ashely Bryan (Award Winner)

The songs in this book are my all-time favorite religious songs since I was young.

Review                

This is a marvelous children’s musical book that has three songs: “He’s got the whole world in His hands”, “this new light of mine” and “Oh when the saints go marching in”. These three songs are of African origin portraying the religious culture of the African Americans. It is so amazing how much impact this masterpiece art has revolutionized the three songs that are known all over the world. This book plays an essential role in demonstrating the rich African culture that has been accepted in so many countries in the world.