God Bless the Child [Hardcover]

Billie Holiday (Author), Arthur Herzog (Author), Jr. (Author)

Book Description

The song God Bless the Child was first performed by legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday in 1939 & remains one of her enduring masterpieces: Mama may have, Papa may have, But God bless the child That s got his own! That s got his own. In this picture book interpretation, renowned illus. Jerry Pinckney has created images of a family moving from the rural South to the urban North during the Great Migration that reached its peak in the 1930s. The song s message of self-reliance still speaks to us today but resonates even stronger in its historical context. This extraordinary book stands as a tribute to all those who dared so much to get their own. A CD of Billie Holiday s timeless recording of God Bless the Child is included to enjoy along with the book.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5--A moving visual interpretation of Holiday and Herzog's swing spiritual based on the proverb, "God blessed the child that's got his own." The song serves as the inspiration for Pinkney's depiction of the Great Migration of the 1930s. Through evocative images, the artist tells the story of one family's move north. The warm and sweeping illustrations are masterful, completely filling each spread. Although the pages are rich in detail, the well-composed paintings never seem cluttered or overwhelming. There is something new to attract readers, even after several readings. The sense of the family members as a unit, as well as their emotions of hope, anxiety, and relief, are all beautifully conveyed. A CD of Holiday performing the song is included, and while the book can be enjoyed without it, listening to the nostalgic and somewhat bittersweet music does elicit an emotional response. While a fine choice for independent reading, this title is particularly poignant when shared with a group, turning the pages in conjunction with the CD. An author's note provides background about Pinkney's inspirations and research. This offering makes an excellent tie-in to units on African-American history.--Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-5. The references in the title Billie Holiday song have been interpreted in different ways. Here, Pinkney gives the words strength and a sense of possibility as one black family takes part in the great migration, moving from the cotton fields of the South to bustling Chicago. "Them that's got shall get, / Them that's not shall lose . . . " begins the song, and the opening spread shows a family that doesn't have much in the way of material goods. Yet the following pictures show joy in togetherness, even as grown-ups and children alike spend hours in backbreaking work. Then, in something of an abrupt transition, the family is packed and ready to move north. The next two spreads are brilliantly conceived. In the first, the old wooden house stands empty, just a rusty red wagon and a rubber tire swinging from a tree to show children once lived there. Turn the page to find Chicago--the El riding the tracks, skirting a city that is all buildings and busy people. Life is still difficult for the family, but hope for the future is evident in the last picture: a boy in school. In a note, Pinkney discusses the migration, the music, and the dreams of education. An accompanying CD brings words, music, and art together. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 30 pages
• Publisher: Amistad Press, Inc.; First Edition first Printing edition (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756796504
• ISBN-13: 978-0756796501
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,787,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL PICTURES COMPLIMENT A BEAUTIFUL SONG, June 5, 2004

By 

Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: God Bless the Child (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books) (Hardcover)

Jerry Pinkney collects vintage photographs, and it was those photos, along with the history of sharecroppers and their migration to the north, that inspired Pinkney to breathe new life into Billie Holiday's song "God Bless the Children" - not that the song needed new life, but it is a the perfect choice for the message Pinkney is trying to convey to young African-American readers--which is their history.

The large book displays some memorable illustrations, each stretching across two pages. The illustrations are scenes in the life of a sharecropper family in the thirties: scenes of Bible reading, horse playing, working in the field, loading the car to move up north and scenes of the working and living in an industrial city. With the illustrations are the words to the song "God Bless the Child." The song becomes a beautiful story brought to life with these detailed, expressive images. They are absolutely beautiful; I just couldn't get enough of them. A free CD of Holiday's God Bless the Child can be found at the back of the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educators Recommend, March 15, 2004

By 

Education Oasis "Education Oasis" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Bless the Child (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books) (Hardcover)

God Bless the Child is a masterpiece: visually stunning and emotionally appealing.

Taking the words to Billie Holiday's and Arthur Herzog Jr.'s bluesy "God Bless the Child" as his text and inspiration, Pinkney depicts a family's move in the 1930s from the rural South to the industrialized North in what was known as the Great Migration.

His exquisite "slice of life" watercolor paintings are wonderfully atmospheric, capturing perfectly the period and people.

The final page is one of hope and the promise of a better future. The single painting shows a young boy sitting in a classroom holding a book, talking with his teacher. As Pinkney notes in an afterword, "At the time "God Bless the Child" was written, education was largely a privilege of the wealthy . . . Free public education was prized as the great equalizer-the stairway out of poverty for those with the courage and opportunity to climb it."

This book is a labor of love. One can see this clearly in the facial expressions, the gestures, even the postures of the characters. No detail is neglected. Each page feels like an inexorable progression forward-even the endpapers. (The front endpapers show what appears to be a cabin's rough, wooden walls, while the endpapers in the back of the book show painted wallpaper.)

This book receives our highest recommendation: Suitable for district-wide library acquisitions.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars LAL Review, January 25, 2006

By 

Confused (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Bless the Child (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books) (Hardcover)

The illustrations are beautiful! However, the words to the song did not depict the story very well. The story needed more than the song to get the story across to the reader. I found myself reading the story twice to understand it. The age range for the story needs to be changed. "All ages" is totally inappropriate. In the classroom the teacher could use the illustrations to allow the students to create their own story for the book.