Down in the 86th Street subway station, a plaque bears the name "Jamaica Louise James, age 8." Who is Jamaica and what did she do? Sit back and enjoy because in this peppery story, Jamaica tells you all about it. With pictures as spunky as Jamaica Louise James herself, Amy Hest's inspiring tale reveals how important just one person—even someone aged eight—can be.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Much like Hest's 1995 How to Get Famous in Brooklyn, this good-humored if slight tale shows the effect a young artist has on her neighborhood. This time her protagonist is an eight-year-old black girl, who paints picture after picture after her mother and grandmother give her a set of paints for her birthday. Then, on her grandmother's birthday, she and her mother descend the stairs of the subway station where Grammy works in a token booth. As a surprise for her, they tape Jamaica's artwork to the walls, transforming the gloomy station into a colorful gallery that makes the once-frowning subway riders smile. Hest pulls readers into the tale by having Jamaica address them directly, with such quips as "That's me. You better believe it!" and "So now you know the whole story." In keeping with the narrative, Samton's (Oh No! A Naptime Adventure) stylized paintings are decidedly childlike, featuring bold hues and some curiously skewed perspectives. Unfortunately, neither words nor pictures do more than approximate a story?Jamaica Louise James feels like a storybook character, not a real girl. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Jamaica Louise James, age eight, loves to paint. She also loves subways "because the seats are hot pink and because they go very fast." She does not like subway stations. There are "too many grownups who all look mad. The walls are old tile walls without any color." Jamaica's grandmother works in a token booth and when the woman comes home she talks about the people she's seen while Jamaica paints and Mama reads. Every day the girl adds a picture to her collection and every day she thinks about her cool idea. On the morning of Grammy's birthday, Jamaica and her Mama go down to the subway station and hang the child's pictures on the walls. Grammy and all of her customers are delighted with the results. Samton's bright, cheerful, bold illustrations rendered in acrylic, gouache, and watercolor are a perfect complement to Hest's text. Jamaica's artwork is distinctively childlike. Large typeface will be appealing to beginning readers. This is an attractive depiction of a hip, single-parent, African-American family who share a lot of fun and love. Although children who like to paint or draw will certainly be inspired by Jamaica Louise James, the book will also appeal to a wide audience of independent thinkers.
Olga Kuharets, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Olga Kuharets, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Amy Hest's many acclaimed children's books include the New York Times bestseller Kiss Good Night. A three-time winner of the prestigious Christopher Award, she lives in New York City.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Karen the Book Lady loves Jamaica Louise James!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Jamaica Louise James (Paperback)
Amy Hest is the one with the COOL idea...her seven-going-on-eight-year-old Jamaica Louise James is sassy and hip, "lacing up the details this way and that" about how she came to have her name on a plaque above a New York city subway station. Author Hest uses lively, fast-paced prose to create the voice of a big girl in the Big Apple, who uses her big idea and birthday gift to create a beautiful surprise for her grandmother that benefits the entire city. Young artist Jamaica adds color to the lives of commuters by decorating the station with artwork she has painted based on stories her token-taking Grammy tells about folks on the subway. Sampton skillfully makes use of mixed media and bright colors, creating a collage effect with paints for main characters and city scenes, moving from crayons to watercolors for young artist Jamaica's works. Subtle details of the story are built upon in the pictures--passengers we learn about on one page recognize themselves in the background of another illustration--which allow sharp-eyed readers to enjoy these delightful discoveries. Simple enough to be enjoyed independently by Jamaica's peers, the interplay between words and art are best appreciated when Jamaica is allowed to tell her tale aloud.
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