Let it Shine

by Ashley Bryan

With a kaleidoscope of color and cut paper, Hans Christian Anderson Award nominee and two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan celebrates three favorite spirituals: "This Little Light of Mine," "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In," and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." The power of these beloved songs simply emanates through his joyous interpretations. Come, sing, and celebrate!

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Poetry, Childrens, Cultural, Nonfiction, African American

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 9, 2007

About the author

Ashley Bryan was an illustrator, children's author, and poet.

Ashley Bryan (1923–2022) grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he shared the joy of song with children. A beloved illustrator, he was named a Newbery Honoree for his picture book, Freedom Over Me. He also received the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, was a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions. His books include Freedom Over Me; Sail Away; Beautiful Blackbird; Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum; Let It Shine; Ashley Bryan’s Book of Puppets; and What a Wonderful World. He lived in Islesford, one of the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Maine.

Reviews

[Holly Nelson]

This beautiful illustrated book tells of three spiritual songs. The three songs are “This Little Light of Mine”, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, and “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In”. The colorful illustrations celebrate the spiritual message in each of the songs that are shared in the book. The illustrations show hope and encouragement through messages in traditional African-American spirituals. The text is directly from songs that most kids may find familiar and have experienced regardless of their faith or practice. The book shows the important of American history and culture on everyone. I would think about using this book in my classroom to show off the illustrations

[Amber Goebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful, brightly illustrated book won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award in 2008, and it is deserving, in my opinion. Let It Shine is a collection of three famous African American spirituals, "This Little Light of Mine," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands." Bryan's construction paper cut-out illustrations tell the story of the lyrics on each page with boldness and warmth. There is also an author's note at the end of the book that explains the importance of spirituals in the lives of slaves. This book would be an excellent addition to a classroom when discussing the history of slavery in America.

[Jj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let It Shine, indeed! This book really is pretty amazing. I much enjoyed these super-colorful interpretations of commonly known and beloved spirituals. My personal favorite was "He's Got The Whole World in His Hands"--a real standout, even here. Best of all, the artwork is all created with good old paper and scissors (no rock required)...so ANYONE reading this can take inspiration and go forth to create.

[Carly Brown Hambrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard and sang these spirituals all of my life, but I had no idea that they were created by African Americans during the era of slavery. For me, this gives these songs even more meaning and power. Yes, this book included three famous spirituals, but the artwork brought this book to life. As all artwork within this book was created with construction paper, it makes the artwork extremely unique. Within this story, the artwork helps the children understand the message the songs are trying to communicate and/or the reasons for writing the songs. Beginning with the dust jacket, Ashley Bryan displays beautiful images loaded with bright and uplifting colors with intricate design. Within this novel, no two pages were alike, and all images used construction paper to create unique and detailed scenes. While most of the images in this story depict a clear meaning, there are many images which are up to one’s interpretation. I imagine this book would be great to have children to look at the picture and try to describe what they think it means. As this book does consist of religious spirituals, I do not think it could be used in a public school classroom unless used when discussing slavery. During the times of slavery, creating and singing spirituals was a large part of African American culture. I believe this book would be appropriate to use to illustrate this aspect of their culture. Other than this example, I also believe this book would be great to use with a preschool age group, especially when singing songs is often included in preschool teaching strategies. In addition to the fun songs, the bright images and artistic style of expressionism can capture their attention, while the use of construction paper helps the preschoolers connect as most preschoolers use construction paper frequently.

[Madison Overway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let it Shine, written by Ashely Bryan, is an amazing picture book that is composed of three spiritual songs: “This Little Light of Mine”,“Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”. It's beautifully illustrated with pictures that truly bring each song's meaning off the page. Bryan’s use of construction paper brings a different aspect to a children’s book. Each page pops with different colors and lets the reader view the songs in a story like manner. The colors are so bright and enchanting they give such a feeling of personality to the songs. It's lively colors are captivating and depict the style and individuality of other cultures. This story does a wonderful job of honoring different cultures through its elite illustrations that portray the energetic lifestyle of others. Through the color and art style chosen to illustrate the pictures of this book make it rich and lively in cultural detail. The text is the lyrics of three spiritual songs that are celebrated and cherished by multiple ethnicities around the globe which helps bond them all together in one book. Bryan’s choice of spiritual songs was a unique choice for a children's picture book. Many different cultures celebrate these well known songs which brings them together. Although it is not a typical story book style, it is still an amazing children's book. The fact that the text is created out of song lyrics and then spiced up with rich illustrations makes it remarkable and delightful read for children and adults alike.

[Tara Schloetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes three traditional songs: “This Little Light of Mine,” “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Anyone can simply put the lyrics of these songs on paper, but Bryan created illustrations that are very intriguing and pleasing to the eye. Bryan illustrates pages that are full of all different colors and fairly simple drawings that would be easy for children of all ages to understand and appreciate. These illustrations fully enhance the three songs that are presented in this book, and bring to life the lyrics that are written. This would be a great read aloud book for young children, who can read or sing along the lyrics with their parents/teacher/etc. The bright colors used throughout the book will keep young readers engaged and interested. One thing I really liked that was added to the end of the book was a note from the illustrator that discusses why she chose these specific songs and how these songs are significant to African American culture.

[Tess Upchurch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of the three songs “This Little Light of Mine,” “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” The words of the songs are accompanied with vibrant paper collage illustrations.

I really liked this book. The collage style illustrations added a unique, colorful, and rather abstract twist to some very well-known songs. I thought the abstract style was a very interesting trait because it allows the reader to see a visual representation but also allows the reader room to mold the images as they see fit.

I would likely not use this book in my classroom due to the religious undertones of these books. I would, however like to find another book illustrated by Ashley Bryan. I think students would really enjoy the colorful collage illustrations. I think it would be fun to have students practice creating their own collage-style picture either about their own story or one that they have heard or read.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author and illustrator Ashley Bryan, brings her book Let It Shine to life through intricately cut colorful paper, and joyous songs. Let it Shine is a collection of three popular songs: “This Little Light of Mine,” “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “He’s Got the Whole World in his Hands.” These songs are often sang in Gospel choirs, and stem from the civil rights movement. The images on the page reflect the lyrics beautifully, and I think the two elements work well together to create deeper emotions as you follow along through the songs in the book. The pictures are vibrant and colorful to illustrate the hopefulness the songs, and the joy on the children’s faces. I would say that I liked reading this book, but I sang it. This book would be a great to sing to a classroom during black history month as it can lead into talking about the history of these songs and the civil rights movement.

[Christianna Lapine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so captivated when I saw the illustrations of this book. Not only does the author use what it feels like every color of the rainbow, but you can also see the detail on every page with the pointed, curved, and rounded shapes. The book consists of three spiritual songs that encompass religious celebration, self-love, and opportunistic ideas. Every illustration almost looks 3-Dimensional from the people to the animals, to the naturistic component. It takes a special talent for someone to feel the music through illustration, which is exactly what Bryan accomplished. This book includes a variety of genres from music, to culture, to religion and more. With the aid of culture and music, the illustrations represent hope, encouragement, and joy. The cultural significance of this book makes others aware of the importance of American history. I would use this book to not only show off these illustrations but also to bring positive energy within a room and those within it.

[Shealyn Wade]

Summary: This book uses the songs "This Little Light", "When The Saints", and "In His Hands" to tell a story of the goodness of God throughout the heritage of African Americans.
Reflection: I really enjoyed how the author used songs to write the book. She altered some of the lyrics to fit the storyline which added a special twist. The illustrations were very unique and colorful. At times they were so abstract that it made it hard to see what the picture actually was.
Application: This is a story of hope and joy that we can find in Jesus when we let our light shine, participate in the marching story of God's kingdom, and recognize that he has the whole world in his hands. As a teacher, you can use this book to teach your students more in-depth about points in history where people struggled for a cause but still shinned their light. If you are teaching at a school that allows the discussion of God, you can talk about God's hand throughout the course of history.

[Allyssa Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let it Shine is a story of three African spirituals who find the light everywhere they go. The story is told in song form and has a rhythmic hum throughout. I think this book is awesome for so many reasons: it celebrates an amazing and rich culture, reflects on a cultures importance and the artwork is like no other. Ashley Bryan has a unique layering staple he does for all of his books that brings a lot of bright colors and visuals. Each image is different and has so much going on, you could look at it multiple times and always see something else new in the artwork. Bryan stands out on multiple platforms for his artwork and has done amazing things for the African American community. Let it Shine is one of my favorite books by him and it exemplifies how amazing children's literature and art can really be.

[Isabella Marrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this wonderful song-picture book has outshining illustrations, the format of a book like this was not something I anticipated or really enjoyed. However, let's just focus on the illustrations. Through cut paper and colors, Bryan shows incredible detail in every page. I love how you can be reading this picture book, and it will just become an open-discussion about the illustrations. The shapes and sizes of the people, flowers, hands, and scissors are made with intense and bright shades of a variety of colors. There are no fine lines anyway in this book, but rather flowing shapes and movement that tells the story. I rate this book an overall 3 out of 5 solely for the incredible illustrations. I did not like the way the book read however, because of the want to sing the words as I spoke them. I feel like that would take some practice before reading correctly to a child.

[Jami Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let It Shine is a beautifully illustrated book that tells three spiritual songs. The songs are African-American spirituals that send a beautiful message while representing culture. The illustrations help give life to the songs, adding to the cultural experience a reader has. The spirituals in the stories relate heavily to the slave era. Let It Shine is a brightly done book that would be a great addition to classrooms to introduce slavery within America education.

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three hymns (“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, “This Little Light of Mine”, and “When the Saints”) are presented with colorful illustrations made from cut paper. Elliot was familiar with two of the three hymns, so it was fun to sing these slightly different variations. The illustrations were a bit abstract for him, but he could still point out some of the objects.


*library book. Read to Elliot at 21 months

[Christan Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This narrative, which honors the determination and resilience of the African American community, is a compelling compilation of spirituals and poetry. The spirituals' rhythmic language echoes the soulful melodies of bygone eras, and Bryan's colorful illustrations bring life to every page. The timeless legacy of faith and hope in the face of hardship is powerfully brought to light by this book.

[ashley folman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in the book Let it Shine were outstanding and made the book so colorful and light which will put students in good spirits. In the book their are songs that the children can sing which can also get them motivated to read as well as could be used in music class. This book is recommended for the preschool age. Very cute book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrated songs are some of our favorite "read alouds" because we sing then together. It's always fun to see favorite songs with different kinds of illustrations. In this picture book, you get three for one, all African Spirituals - This Little Light of Mine, Oh When the Saints Go Marching In, and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands illustrated with Ashley Bryan's bold colorful style.

[Alexis Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the concept of this book and the illustrations. As an African American woman, I have heard all three of these songs growing up. I love how the illustrations tell the story of each song. Highly recommended!!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use this book every few weeks just for a singalong, changing the "Satan" part to "somebody" ~ won't let "somebody" blow it out NO! I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!!

Gorgeous illustrations from Ashley Bryan (Beautiful Blackbird! Freedom Over Me, etc.)

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love paper collage pictures! This is a colourful book with beautiful images made of figures cut from single colours (unlike Thao Lam's images that may have patterns in each figure)
This is a visual presentation of well known spirituals. the images are lovely and vibrant.

[Henessy Tolliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this book can make reading a little more fun and interesting because of the fact it is a musical reading. This book also has a strong message about the African American Culture and the history behind the song included in the book.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three beautiful songs, originally called "Negro Spirituals" are exquisitely illustrated in this book, with the musical score in the back.
This Little Light of Mine
When The Saints Come Marching In
He's Got The Whole World in His Hands

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley Bryan's illustrations are gorgeous and these popular spirituals are beautiful to sing. It is a joyful experience to read this book, actually SING this book. The sheet music is in the back of the book if you want to take it one step further.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations were very cute and I love the story line. Great for elementary aged students and for learning about culture!

[Kylee Wiyrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This children’s book immediately caught my attention when I saw the bright colors and crazy design that made up the front cover. Being that the book is called Let it Shine, I could only assume that the story would complement the bright colors as well. Upon opening the front cover, I read that the author used a kaleidoscope of color along with cut paper to bring the story to life. When I started reading the words on the page, I could tell that this book had rhythm although it was difficult for me to pick up on that. I couldn’t quite figure out the tune that goes with the words. The repetitiveness of “this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine” gave me a hint, but even reading it aloud was no help. On another note, I loved how the pictures complemented the words meaning “this little light” was portrayed by a candle in the illustrations. I was a little caught off guard when I read the words “don’t let Satan blow it out” due to the fact that I know this is a children’s book and I am not sure if young children are exposed to “Satan” and what that may mean. Even further, this book contains two different parts which appear to be different songs. I enjoyed how the songs were split up, making it easy to transition into the next.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and could sing along as I remember singing all of them in church as a kid. A walk down memory lane.

[Anne Lutomia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the songs and the rich colors of the illustrations.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pictures are amaaaazing.

[Tabi Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright 2007. Genre folklore. I enjoyed these spiritual favorites. I could use this book in my classroom to open a conversation about anti literacy laws and African American history.

[Shiloh Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mommy and daddy sing badly when we read this book together.