Just For You! Jumping The Broom [Paperback]

Sonia Black (Author), Cornelius Van Wright (Author), Ying-Hwa Hu (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Just For You

Erin’s sister is getting married. Read about all the excitement—and a special tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In what appears to be an effort to help children, particularly African Americans, assimilate the bitter American legacy of black slavery without damaging their self-esteem, Wright conjures up an almost preternaturally jolly picture of a slave wedding. Lettie's big sister is getting married, and Lettie bubbles with excitement. She describes the preparations, with the women using their limited spare time to make an elaborate quilt, pillows, sheets and a mattress for the new couple (feathers are reserved for the Master and his family's bedding, but "Tillie's pallet smells really sweet even if it is only stuffed with straw"), while the men carve furniture and cooking utensils. The wedding day is filled with laughter, singing, dancing and plenty of eating, and, of course, the couple jumps over a broom--which, in the absence of a minister or other official, constitutes the marriage ceremony. First-time children's illustrator Griffith mirrors the text's sunniness in luminescent watercolors that emphasize the light streaking through autumn foliage. A hushed serenity imbues the artwork, but can't quell the incongruities created by Wright's failure to establish the historical context. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Wright captures a moment of joy and jubilation in the life of a slave community as they celebrate a marriage, traditionally known as "jumping the broom." The story is revealed through the eyes of eight-year-old Lettie, who is looking forward to her sister's wedding. The women sew and cook while the men with carpentry skills make things for the cabin-baskets, wooden spoons, tables, and three-legged stools. Smiles, good feelings, and food are abundant. This fictional depiction of slave life is quite different from what readers may be accustomed to reading. Major accounts accentuate the extreme harshness or project docile images of black workers. Wright, however, introduces children to the spirit of a people attempting to hold on to the richness of cultural values and a sense of tradition. The slaves in this community see themselves as human beings, in spite of the condition they find themselves in. There is no doubt that slavery as practiced in North America was a cruel and dehumanizing institution. However, this collaboration of text and soft delicate watercolors paints perhaps the peace found in a strong spiritual connection for Africans who knew who they really were.
Barbara Osborne Williams, Queens Borough Public Library, Jamaica, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Teaching Resources (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439568781
• ISBN-13: 978-0439568784
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,178,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Jumping the Broom, May 23, 2011

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This review is from: Just For You! Jumping The Broom (Paperback)

I enjoy reading this book to my children's. I hope to see more positive role models for our young children.

4.0 out of 5 stars Jumping the Broom, July 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Jumping the Broom (Hardcover)

Courtni C. Wright's Jumping the Broom is an excellent story, not only for children but adults as well. It gives children of all ages knowledge of how weddings can differ across cultures and across time. I found the book so throughly enjoyable that I mailed it to my older sister as a wedding gift!