Aneesa Lee and the Weaver's Gift [Hardcover]

Nikki Grimes (Author), Ashley Bryan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 1999 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Thirteen interrelated poems and as many radiant illustrations create not only a celebration of the ancient art of weaving but a joyful exploration of how love and hard work can mesh separate threads--or separate people--into a harmonious whole.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a series of thoughtful, interlocking poems, Grimes (Meet Danitra Brown) skillfully uses the metaphor of weaving to explore the world of a talented girl. The young weaver's strands of black, white and Japanese heritage have "produced a pleasing,/ living, breathing tapestry/ christened Aneesa Lee." The poet reveals Aneesa Lee's life and thoughts through the intricate patterns of her work ("a herringbone of sadness,/ threads of anger and gladness"; "Her yarns express her deepest thoughts/ in variegated tints"). The themes of the bookAfamily, community, artistic vision, dedication to craft and loveAbuild to a resonant climax in the last poem where Grimes suggests that, "From the age of bronze/ To the age of space,/ From Ankara to Zanzibar,/.../ The loom connects us all/ In a community/ Of cloth." Bryan's (Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum) sweeping tempera and gouache illustrations include all the shades of yarn that Aneesa Lee enumerates, as well as a cast of many colors. His paintings reflect the many moods of the poems, each framed in a vibrant textile pattern. A list of terms integral to the craft will aid novices. For adult weavers, the book will be a treasure, and for children, it serves as a glimpse into the intricacies not only of weaving, but the patterns of daily life. Ages 7-up. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grade 3-6-Thirteen interrelated poems celebrate a girl's love of weaving. Aneesa Lee, herself a tapestry of black, white, and Japanese heritage, pursues the art with an all-consuming passion. The variegated colors of the yarn and the various textures of the woven tapestries express her shifting emotions of sadness, hurt, anger, worry, joy, and love. Each spread features a poem on the left facing a full page of art. Bright, folk-style illustrations in tempera and gouache explode with color. Decorative borders reflect the artistic unity of words and illustrations. A glossary of "Weaving Words" and a picture of a fully labeled loom precede the poems. This sensitive tribute to an ancient art may best be appreciated by those who pursue the craft themselves.
Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (October 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688159974
• ISBN-13: 978-0688159979
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,066,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nikki Grimes conveyed the fire-in-the-belly fervor of a Harlem girl who knows she was born to write in Jazmin's Notebook, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. In My Man Blue, a Booklist Editor's Choice and Newsweek Children's Books of the Year selection, her artful words expressed a boy's journey from skepticism to trust. And now with Bronx Masquerade she presents a rich chorus of eighteen voices, singing openly about ideas, feelings, and questions--things that open minds, invite debate, provide release. A recent Booklist review proclaims: "As always, Grimes gives young people exactly what they're looking for--real characters who show them they are not alone."An accomplished poet, novelist, journalist, and educator, Ms. Grimes was born and raised in New York City and now lives in the Los Angeles area.