Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children [Hardcover]

Wade Hudson (Author), Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1993 | Age Level: 4 and up

A collection of poetry by fourteen distinguished African-American poets features the work of Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Eloise Greenfield, among others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like Bernie Fuchs's illustrations for Ragtime Tumpie , Cooper's painterly, sun-drenched portraits for this collection are as rich and varied as the verses themselves. A potpourri of poems by Gwendolyn Brooks, Eloise Greenfield, Nikki Giovanni and Langston Hughes is interspersed with works by lesser known writers. Although some selections focus on experience unique to African Americans--such as Countee Cullen's "Incident," about an eight-year-old who is called "Nigger"--many of them deal with the common experiences of children of all races--eating chocolate, jumping in a puddle, taking a bath. Unfortunately, not all of the poems and illustrations are equally well chosen or designed. Occasionally two incompatible paintings are joined confusingly in the book's gutter, faces seem distorted, and dark backgrounds make the text hard to read. Despite these caveats, the warmly textured illustrations for "Dream Keeper" and "Harriet Tubman," together with the expressive faces on the cover, will insure that the culture portrayed is--as intended--"passed from one generation to another." Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

K Up-- A wide-ranging collection from sidhose musings go from chocolate to pickles; and other notable poets, such as Langston Hughes, Lucille Clifton, and Gwendolyn Brooks are represented in these 19 selections. Cooper's illustrations have the same glowing colors anewalk and rope-skipping rhymes to poetry, all celebrating the African-American experience. Eloise Greenfield, who writes with equal passion about the spirit of Harriet Tubman or the proper way to catch a fish; Nikki Giovanni, wd skillfully drawn faces and figures that have become familiar from his other books. They complement each poem with shades and composition that enhance the mood of the words. Many of the entries have appeared in the individual poets' own books, but putting them together has made this a collaboration with a powerful and singular voice. The endnotes about the contributors, as well as Hudson's introduction, round out this effort, making it a strong choice for most collections. --Jane Marino, White Plains Public Library, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (March 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590457705
• ISBN-13: 978-0590457705
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #808,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Wade Hudson's career as a writer spans more than three decades. In 1988, Hudson's passion for writing and life-long mission to help foster positive self-image within the Black community, prompted he and his wife Cheryl to launch Just Us Books, the nation's leading independent publisher of Black-interest books for young people. Another imprint, Marimba Books, was launched in 2008, with a focus on multicultural literature for children and young adults.

An accomplished and award-winning author, he has written more than 25 books for young people including, AFRO-BETS Book of Black Heroes, Poetry from the Masters: The Pioneers and Jamal's Busy Day, Pass It On: African-American Poetry for Children, Powerful Words: More than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans and the Great Black Heroes series. His most recent titles include Its Church Going Time, Places I Love to Go, and Puddin, Jeffrey and Leah: Best Friends.

He is also very active in his community, serving on the board of the Isaiah House in East Orange, NJ and the Langston Hughes Library at the Alex Haley Farm, operated by the Children's Defense Fund. In 2004, he and his wife co-founded The Knowledge Is Power Project, a non-profit youth literacy organization dedicated to bringing children and books together. He is a Stephen Crane Literary Award recipient, was named a "Man of Valor" in Newark, NJ and was inducted into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. His literary affiliations include PEN America and the Authors' Guild.

Wade speaks to students across the country and conducts workshops for teachers and parents. He can be reached at [e-mail]. Web Site: www.justusbooks.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A childrens book that is a poetic feast for all ages., June 2, 2000

By 

"iloveprovence" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children (Hardcover)

Pass It On is a beautiful picture book of some of BlackAmerica's best poems for children. Here the reader will find examplesof the wonderful works of Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Countee Cullen, and about thirteen others. From the Harlem Rennaisance to the present day lovely thought-provoking poems are presented to the American child. The illustrations are muted but descriptive renderings that are melded together to present a picture of black life at its best.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, April 4, 2000

By 

Denise Creary (Sunrise, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children (Hardcover)

I purchased this book 5 years ago for my son and a friend's daughter, and I was so excited to read it, my son in 1st grade wrote about the poem I can and it won him a blue ribbon and right now he still has the writing for that poem eventhough he has the book in the bookshelf, when they say "Pass it On" it really mean that, now he can pass it on to his children later in life. Everyone that has borrowed the book and read to their kids have enjoyed it.

I highly recommend the book to children of all age, it's also a book of life experience.

Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic cultural heritage of African Americans worth passing on, March 21, 2011

By 

Assoc For Natural Psych "world of nature" (Newark, NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children (Hardcover)

I recommend this book wholeheartedly for any classroom up to the third or early fourth grade. It contains nice portrait-illustrations and has a nice diversity of African American poetry from well known and lesser known poets. It is inspiring to children who may have a propensity towards poetry and music. Teachers can use this book as a spring-board for children in writing their own poetry.

Children need poetry today, because they are drenched with confusing and erroneous musical messages from early childhood on from the hip hop and R & B world. Wholesome poetry satisfies that need for poetic expression in wholesome respectful way. African American poetry is a cultural legacy to pass on, as portrayed in this book. The R & B / Hip hop world is, by contrast, based on commercialism, "selling" sex, and disrespect of women, to a great extent. There is a large body of hip hop that dwells on lyric of misogyny as well as self-loathing.

The legacy of African American poetry, is by contrast, a rich expression of cultural diversity worth preserving, passing on and promoting. This book, additionally, provides poems of a historical base, which provides children with a gentle introduction to the history of African Americans in this country. This helps African American children and youth to develop an understanding of their roots, as well as self-insight, which is a valuable part of education, to understand where we individually fit into the broader picture. It helps them to see the culture of African Americans in a positive light, rather than one of misery or encouraging protest and anger.

This is a small collection of poems that should be a part of all schools with a large base of African American children, and in other schools, to help American children who are not African American, to appreciate the cultural heritage and history of African Americans in the U.S.