Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children

by Wade Hudson, Floyd Cooper (Illustrations)

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.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1993

About the author

Wade Hudson is the author of nearly 30 books for children and Young adults. He and his wife Cheryl are the founders of Just Us Books, Inc., a leading publisher of multicultural books for children.

Reviews

[Henessy Tolliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes many short poems, that are all wonderful.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really like the illustrations because it’s like fuzzy fuzzy pictures - really fuzzy like blurry pictures, but the Content is good.

Poems I liked:

Daddy’s little girl ***
I Can
The dream keeper

Incident (very sad - use of N word)
Midway ***
My people
Harriet Tubman ***

The voyage of Jimmy poo
The sandman

—
Daddy’s little girl by Linda Michelle Baron

I am my daddy‘s little girl. And my daddy told me, he borrowed a little piece of sun, waited until it cooled, then made me just the way he wanted me… Looking like him (with a little bit of mommy added). And that sun he borrowed is why my face lights up so bright when I smile, and why all of me is so sunshiny.

And my girlfriend said she’s her daddy‘s little girl. And her daddy told her he cut her out of some midnight, with a cookie cutter he got from her mommy. He cut her out of midnight, because that’s his favorite, most fun time. That’s why she is all of his happiness… Especially when she smiles, letting the moon shine, and the stars flash across her face.

And my other girlfriend, she said, she’s her daddy’s little girl. And her daddy told her that he calls her Honey, because one day he had a sweet tooth. So he and her mommy gathered up all the flowers they could, and gave those flowers to a whole lot of worker bees. Those bees buzzed around and buzzed around, until they designed her sweet enough to fill his tooth with her honey drop kiss… Fill his heart with her honey shined face… And fill his life with her honey comb smile.

So, my girlfriends, and I decided, our daddies sure went to a lot of trouble to make us their little girls. We guess that’s why we love them so much. Thank you God… And mommies for helping them out… We love you too!
—
I Can by Mari Evans

I can be anything I can do anything I can think anything big or tall or high or low wide or narrow fast or slow because I can and I want to!

—
Midway by Naomi Long Madgett

I’ve come this far to freedom and I won’t turn back. I’m climbing to the highway from my old dirt track. I’m coming and I’m going and I’m stretching and I’m growing and I’ll reap what I’ve been sowing or my skin’s not black.

I have prayed and slaved and waited and I’ve sung my song. You’ve bled me and you’ve starved me but I’ve still grown strong. You’ve lashed me and you’ve treed me and you’ve everything but freed me but in time you’ll know you need me and it won’t be long.

I’ve seen the daylight breaking high above the bough. I found my destination and I’ve made my vow; so whether you abhor me or deride me or ignore me, mighty mountains loom before me and I won’t stop now.
—
My people by Langston Hughes

The night is beautiful, so the faces of my people. The stars are beautiful, so the eyes of my people. Beautiful, also, is the sun. Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.
—
Harriet Tubman by Eloise Greenfield

Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff
wasn’t scared of nothing Neither
didn’t come in this world to be no slave
and wasn’t going to stay one either.

“Farewell! “She sang to her friends one night
she was mighty sad to leave ‘em,
but she ran away that dark, hot night
ran looking for her freedom

She ran to the woods, and she ran through the woods
with the slave catchers right behind her
and she kept on going till she got to the north
where those mean men couldn’t find her

19 times she went back south
to get 300 others
she ran for her freedom 19 times
to save blacks sisters and brothers
Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff
wasn’t scared of nothing Neither
didn’t come in this world to be no slave
and didn’t stay one either

And didn’t stay one either
—
The dream keeper by Langston Hughes

Bring me all of your dreams, you dreamers, bring me all of your heart melodies that I may wrap them in a blue cloud-cloth away from the too-rough fingers of the world.
—
The Sandman, by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I know, a man with face of tan, but who is ever kind; whom girls and boys leave games and toys each eventide to find.
when day grows dim, they watch for him, he comes to place his claim; he wears the Crown of dreaming town; the Sandman is his name.
When sparkling eyes troop sleepywise And busy lips grow dumb; when little heads nod toward the beds, we know the Sandman’s come.

[Brandy Mcdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children written by Wade Hudson is a collection of poetry for children by African-American poets. The book beautifully introduces the what different cultures can bring to literary arts. This book has so many messages and valuable lessons to teach to young readers about African American culture. The topics vary from fun and care-free poems to others telling the story of struggles that African Americans have had to face throughout history. IN light of recent public event the opening to this collection really touched my heart. The collection begins with a lullaby from an African American mother to her baby. There are different poetry styles with in the collection. The poems are narrative, free verse, or lyrical. It would be great activity to have each student pick a style a write a poem about their own culture or family.

[Emily Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry - Collection of Poetry
Awards: N/A
Audience: Kindergarten - 5th grade
A. This book is a collection of poems that are different poetry styles. The poems are narrative, free verse, or lyrical.
B. "To Catch a Fish" by Eloise Greenfield is one of the poems that contains rhyme. An example is the lines "It takes more than a wish to catch a fish".
C. Create your own stanza on something you like to go into the poem "The Reason I Like Chocolate" by Nikki Giovanni
I like playing with my friends
'cause I can laugh and run
and sing silly songs

[Savannah Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about the African-American culture through poetry. This book was so meaningful due to the fact that it's helping keep the traditions alive for African-Americans. What I like about this book is the simple fact that it introduces us to the works of famous African-American writers. If I were to use this in my class I would focus specifically on the African-American tradition along with slavery, racism, and the civil rights.

[Amy Niles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are amazing. They have a soft, feathery, mystical fog in each picture. It softens the likeness of the children portrayed. The poem book has a lullaby and a mix of long and short poems that speak to the black experience. There is a lullaby, some historical nuance, and poems of longing.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much more kid-friendly collection of poems focusing on the African American experience. My favorite poems include:
- Wait Little Joe
- Time to Play
- Daddy’s Little Girl
- To Catch a Fish
- I Can
- Midway
- Harriet Tubman
- The Dream Keeper
- Listen Children

[G.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful poems for all ages!!

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry book is REAL. And what I mean by that is, it talks about real problems and situations that happened to African American kids back then; it can count as a historical fiction and present-day, but also informational. At first I didn't think it could be a children's book because of the topics, but that's how children learn. The book starts off with an African mother saying a lullaby to her baby about people want to take him/her. This book ends with one of my favorite poems in the book about being black. It says that we have never hated black, we just have been embarrassed and mad to think it's not okay to be black, but we have always loved us. This book represents black boys and girls playing, daddy's girls, racism, etc; and it has great pictures to match the words. It is such a nice collection of great poems that accurately represent the culture and encourages being confident in being black.

[Emma Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures and poems express African American culture. The whole thing is wonderfully done!

Lexile: NP
GR: N/A
Trait: Ideas

[Megan Bernhard]

Pass It On is a collection of African-American Poetry for children selected by Wade Hudson. Each poem is accompanied by an illustration by Floyd Cooper that helps to draw the reader into the message the poems convey. For example the poem entitled Wait Little Joe pictures an enthusiastic depiction of Little Joe attempting to jump the ditch. This is one of the first poems in the collection and I was particularly drawn to it because I think everyone can relate to wanting to participate in an activity they are not yet ready for. The rest of the collection includes themes of play, family, and friendships. One poem from this collection that is an excellent example of using exact rhymes is The Sand-Man. This poem would be very good to use in the classroom to help teach rhyming patterns. The poem Midway is a good example of insight and images. With the help of the illustration I was able to conclude that this poem is a story being told to a young African-American by an elder, most likely a family member. Through the sound of the poem I am able to envision the events the poem talks about and I really was taken back by the way the author uses historical context to tell her story. I feel that the majority of the poems in this collection can help to deepen our awareness especially those of African-American children's feelings. My heart was truly warmed by the emotion I felt in the voice of these authors. I was touched by Daddy's Little Girl and I would dive deeper into the meaning of this poem by helping my students to understand their importance in the life of others. Another poem that stood out to me was Listen Children and I think this could also be used teach about love and understanding for one another.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Response:
Hudson, Wade. Pass It On: African American Poetry. Scholastic by arrangement with Just Us Books, 1998. 24 p. Gr. Pre-K-3.

This book is a collection of poems by 14 of America's most notable African-American poets. Poem themes span time and place, ranging from Africa and African lullabies to simple childish games, slavery, racism, civil rights, and dreaming of the a future in which an African-American becomes the President. The book is a celebration of the African-American cultural experience. Artwork in the book includes muted, full-bleed, photo-realistic pastels on two-page spreads.

Reader response/classroom connections: This book could be utilized in classrooms from grades Pre-K (perhaps utilizing only some of the simpler poems) and up. This book would be a wonderful addition to a unit focusing on multiculturalism and would, work well in a text set (perhaps with another poetry book illustrated by Floyd Cooper, 'Meet Danitra Brown' by poet Nikki Grimes [who is also featured in this 'Pass It On: African American Poetry collection'] along with 'I Love My Hair!' by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and other non-fiction and poetry books that celebrate African American culture, especially during 'Black History Month'. Another valuable exercise would be choose a poem from the collection each day and ask students to research the poet who wrote that poem; the class could, over the span of the unit, construct their own short poetry journals of the various poets' work.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry book contains poems that have been written by different authors. There are some poems that are very short, and others that cover two pages. This book contains eye catching pictures that go with the poems, and helps the reader visualize what they are reading. There are some poems in this book that younger readers could read on their own, and some for older readers.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved many of the poems in this book and one thing that it does it talk about the many different things that are present in African American culture and gives either African Americans something to relate to, or for other races, it helps them understand some of what they deal with. For example, there is one that is entitled Incident, which talks about an African American boy riding a bus, with a Caucasian boy staring at him every day and calling him names. This can show how it used to be in history to kids and show them that this should not happen in today's society. Many of the other poems talk about freedom and the faces of 'my people.' There is also one written about Harriet Tubman, which adds a historical element for the kids to learn about if they read this poem.

[Mike Romesburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theme: "Poetry Picturebook"

Wonderful poetry and rhyme scheme from several well known authors such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Grimes, etc. These poems apply most to children of the African American culture because they often describe the struggle these people went through to acquire freedom. However, these poems communicate as a whole that tough time do not last, but tough people do, especially when they stick together. Now that is a message that can be carried with children of all ages regardless of the culture or racial group they belong to.

[Mary Duvernay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book contains happy family poems, and serious poem appropriate for all ages. It has poetry from African-Americans such as: Langston Hughes, Eloise Greenfields, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, and Gwendolyn Brooks. My favorites are Daddy’s Little Girl, by Lindamichellebaron and Harriet Tubman, by Eloise Greenfield.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written poetry by some of the greats... Langston Hughes, Nikki Grimes... Some are lighter some carry more meaning and stories of struggle. Could bring about some great class discussion. Also great for read alouds.

[John Tricksey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed how this book had poems from different poets. I liked how the illustration related to the poems. The poems ranged from playful to serious. The poems definitely provoked thought. I think students would benefit reading poetry from successful and prolific poets regardless of race.

[Libby In Libraryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poems in this collection that fed my interest in African-American poetry include "Wait Little Joe" by Lessie Little Jones, "Daddy's Little Girl" by Lindamichellebaron, and "Listen Children" by Lucile Clifton.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sixth grade +.

A collection of poems by various authors. Some deal solely with African-American history/life. Others are for children in general.

Several touching poems dealing with childhood and history. Amazing artistry!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

floyd cooper art could be a story about bugs or neptune and it would be worth looking at because of the art.
this book of good to terrific poetry has an author i'd not read, Countee Cullen's "Incident" is a real punch in the gut. wow

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the rhythm of some of these poems, couldn't help but hear the melody.

[Aska]

African-American Poetry for Children

Time to Play - Nikki Grimes
To Catch a Fish - Eloise Greenfield
Langston Hughes

Harriet Tubman - Eloise Greenfield

[Ashlynn Ricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it features only African American poets such as Langston Hughes. I think it is important to expose children to a diverse group of authors/poets to show that everyone can write.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read African American poetry.

[Jessica]

This collection of poems includes beautiful illustrations and short poems that might appeal to children. Some are historical, some are more current, and some are just silly. This would be a good book for a multicultural and/or poetry unit with students.