Spin a Soft Black Song: Poems for Children [Paperback]

Nikki Giovanni (Author), George Martins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

A favorite collection of thirty-five poems for and about black children celebrates the energy and joy of life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Martins' black-and-white drawings exude action and feeling, and the elements he chose to illustrate are perceptive and sensitive...A fine addition to the poetry shelves." --Booklist

About the Author

Nikki Giovanni has written many books of poetry for children and adults. She is the author of Lincoln and Douglass, The Genie in the Jar, and Ego-tripping and Other Poems for Young People. Rosa is a Caldecott Honor book. Giovanni calls herself, "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English."  She was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all-black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She studied at Fisk University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University.

 

She published her first book of poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968, and since then has become one of America’s most widely read poets. Oprah Winfrey named her as one of her twenty-five “Living Legends.” Her autobiography Gemini was a finalist for the National Book Award, and several of her books have received NAACP Image Awards. She has received some twenty-five honorary degrees, been named Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle Magazine, The Ladies Home Journal and Ebony, was the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and has been awarded the Langston Hughes Medal for poetry.

 

Nikki Giovanni lives in Christiansburg, Virginia, where she is a professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); Revised edition (April 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374464693
• ISBN-13: 978-0374464691
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Single Authors > United States
  • #37 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > Poetry
  • #70 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Poetry > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sing a song..., July 24, 2001

By 

"risalysa" (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spin a Soft Black Song: Poems for Children (Paperback)

This book is a beautiful introduction to Nikki Giovanni's childrens' poetry. Each piece, written from the viewpoint of a black child, graces us with the experiences common in the life of a kid. Ranging from the childs eye view of 'Mommies' and 'Daddies' to the monsters in our dreams to the invincibility of youth, and the realities of being black, the poetry lyrically gives a peek at the soft sides of everyday life. I've loved this book since my mother first read it to me, and recommend it to ALL parents, but especially to Black parents and their children.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic!!!, December 17, 2005

By 

Alkia A. Cheek "...and out of the darkness ar... (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spin a Soft Black Song: Poems for Children (Paperback)

I LOVED this book when I was a little girl. I can still hear my mother reading it to me. I bought one to read to my own children someday.