Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls [Hardcover]

Dinah Johnson (Author), Myles C. Pinkney (Photographer)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Through her collection of black dolls, Dinah Johnson imparts a poetic message of pride and self-esteem.

Walk across the bridge --
it's not so hard to do --
look straight ahead and don't turn back,
your sisters are waiting for you.

Dolls are playthings. Dolls are keepsakes. Dolls are magical. In elegant poems and striking photographs, dolls from around the United States and as far away as the Caribbean, East Africa, West Africa, and South America are brought together in celebration of the human spirit.

Dinah Johnson's poems -- sometimes gentle and joyful, often bold and courageous -- embrace the strength and imagination of many cultures. Eboni and Kiani, Sonia and Retta, and over thirty other dolls in this collection march proudly to their own voices and rhythms. Children and doll lovers of all ages will find beauty and inspiration in this extraordinary picture book.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6-Alongside photographs of dolls from the author's personal collection are her original poems about each one. Whether rhymed and metered ("Walk across the bridge-/the stream is not so very wide-/take one step then another/until you reach the other side") or free verse ("She flies in friendship./She laughs in love./She jumps in joy/for joy"), her lines communicate the play, the beauty, and the tenderness that makers put into and that owners find in their dolls. And while any doll lover can appreciate this book, it is also a celebration of women and of African and African-American cultures. There is no table of contents or index, but the collection of 33 poems can be dipped into anywhere. Pinkney's full-color photos are set against white or various boldly colored backdrops, keeping the eye dancing, and thus seeming to set each doll in motion. Johnson speaks to the origins and spirit of the collection in her introduction, and appended "source notes" credit the makers when known and describe where each item was purchased. This is a book that speaks to children but will be well loved by adults, and should find many uses beyond its classification as poetry.
Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6, somewhat younger for reading aloud. Two well-designed books celebrate the beauty and history of dolls. In Sitting Pretty, Johnson introduces her own collection of black dolls from Africa, North America, South America, and the Caribbean. Each page presents a single doll or a small group, visually represented by a clear, colorful photograph and verbally, through a short poem expressive of the figure's heritage and demeanor. Two appended pages of notes detail where the dolls came from and, in some cases, who made them. The book's arrangement into three sections, "My Dolls," "Big Sister's Dolls," and "Mama's Dolls" is intended to "speak to the womanchild each of us recognizes in herself at different times in life." Though few will stop to consider the thematic sections, doll lovers, young or old, will pore over these well-designed pages, admiring the colorfully dressed, expressive figures and reflecting on Johnson's verse tributes. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805060979
• ISBN-13: 978-0805060973
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,695,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A COVETED COLLECTION GENEROUSLY SHARED, September 16, 2000

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls (Hardcover)

Children remind us that dolls enchant, comfort, inspire loyalty, and buoy our imaginations. All will find this true in Sitting Pretty, as author and educator Dinah Johnson shares her collection of black dolls.

Poetry and marvelous photographs reveal each doll's individual personality - there is Charnelle, an adorable baby doll clad in pink, Retta, an exotic West African doll, and, of course, the quintessential church lady - Miss Frona in her elaborate and lacy bib-collared Sunday best.

Author's notes reveal the origin and further information about each beguiling doll. This is a unique contribution to the annals of doll books, and a first rate one!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DOLL MAGIC!, November 21, 2000

By 

"angelinainphiladelphia" (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls (Hardcover)

This book will not only make you want to buy it, but will also tease you to start collecting dolls! Dolls from plain to the unique are captured beautifully and held spellbound with prose and print that is purely captivating!

Young and old alike will enjoy this book, which must be read aloud with attitude! A sure mother/daughter pleaser!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice book for doll collectors, September 3, 2003

By 

peachyqueen27 "peachyqueen27" (Huntsville, AL USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls (Hardcover)

This is a great book to add to your collection. The pictures are vivid and the poetry is interesting.