Popo and Fifina (The Iona and Peter Opie Library) [Hardcover]

Arna Bontemps (Author), Langston Hughes (Author), E. Simms Campbell (Illustrator), Arnold Rampersad (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 1993 | Series: The Iona and Peter Opie Library

This collaboration between Harlem Renaissance writers Arna Bontemps and Langston Hughes is an early African-Aamerican classic and a milestone in the history of literature for children. In this novel for young people, Popo and Fifina leave their home in the hills of Haiti to move with their parents to a town by the sea. The next few months are full of adventures--adjusting to a new home, a trip back to the hills for a visit, Popo's work as a carpenter's apprentice, the children's fun with a wondrous kits made by their father, and even a trip to the lighthouse at the end of the island and an amazing tropical storm. When Popo and Fifina was first published in 1932, it was greeted with universal approval. The New York Times praised its "simple home-like atmosphere" and suggested that all children's books "should be written by poets." It has been a favorite among children, parents, and teachers for more than two decades, and now this new edition introduces its magic to a new generation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A welcome reissue of an early African-American classic, with an insightful introduction and afterword by Arnold Rampersad."--The Horn Book

"Popo and Fifina [is] an important work in African-American literature."--The National Black Review

"Recommended for pleasure reading and multicultural units."--Library Lane

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195087658
• ISBN-13: 978-0195087659
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,803,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book about from a child's perspective in Haiti, February 11, 2011

By 

n brown "n brown" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Popo and Fifina (Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature) (Paperback)

This is a lovely book, vivid, well-written, but simple enough to make a great read-aloud for a five year old child. No objectionable content. A simple, beautiful story. I was so lucky to come across this book. (Interesting for me, too, to learn about life in Haiti long ago.)