Review: Brooks, G., & Ringgold, F. (2007). Bronzeville boys and girls.
Brooks, G., & Ringgold, F. (2007). Bronzeville boys and girls. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks, with bright and engaging paintings by Caldecott Honor artist Faith Ringgold, is a collection of poems about the “Bronzeville” section of Chicago--a South Side neighborhood rich in African American culture. Known for its contributions to civil rights advancement, it was the hometown neighborhood of several famous artists, authors and musicians.
Gwendolyn Brooks first published these poems--some with children at the center, others voiced by children--in 1956. Her aim was to show the reader that the experience of childhood with its “beauty, imagination, and freedom” (41) is universal, no matter our neighborhood or social status. The poetry is definitely appealing to children with its singsong rhythm and rhyme, and humorous observations and subjects. Some center on friendships, childhood crushes, children’s view of adults; others on childhood experiences like losing a friend to a move, or idolizing notable figures, like the influential black singer and activist Marian Anderson. Some are carefree in tone, and others express childhood disappointments--a pet goldfish dying, or more somberly, not receiving the desired gifts on Christmas morning.
Faith Ringgold added her renowned artwork to the poetry in 2006, having pored over these separate but intertwined poems herself. She says of the “very special” characters that she knew some “quite well from my own childhood” and that “others were new but valued acquaintances” (41) meaning of course that her own experiences as a child in Harlem allowed her to relate to the children of the poems in a very real and personal way. The lively and expressive paintings of children in their daily lives, wonders and setbacks are sure to delight young readers, and this is a valuable addition to any classroom library.
Click here for some amazing and insightful interviews about stories from the history of Bronzeville in Chicago, Illinois.
Black Light Series #7: Ego Painting, 1969
Comments
Post a Comment