We Are One

by Ysaye M. Barnwell, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)

We are our grandmother's prayers, our grandfather's dreamings, and the breath of our ancestors. We are filled with imagination and hope, big dreams and endless possibilities. We are different, yet we are all the same. We are one.

From Ysaye Barnwell, of the revered African American women's a cappella group Sweet Honey In The Rock, and Caldecott Honor winner Brian Pinkney comes a poetic tribute to community, togetherness, and diversity in the universal language of music.

This original hardcover is accompanied by a musical CD that features the exquisite song "We Are . . ."

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Poetry, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Kerrie Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"For each child that's born, a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are." I love this line from the book! It boldly proclaims how special and unique each child is, so much that creation sings. It reminds us that we are part of all that came before us and all that is around us. We are one.

[David Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much visualization and so many possibilities. Loved this book.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful art with an uplifting message.

[Anna Smithberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pinkney's illustrations greatly enhance the text of this song. Really dig it.

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyrics to the ""Sweet Honey in the Rock" song "We Are One" illustrated with joyously exuberant watercolor and gouache paintings by Brian Pinkney. The author has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Speech Pathology and an M.S. in Public Health. But this verse has a simple, upbeat message that intends to be both empowering and powerful. However, I feel there is a disconnect between the essentially profound lyrics and the joyful rainbow-colored paintings, with their pastel flowers and multi-ethnic children walking and playing and picknicking. Compare illustrations to _The Hello Goodbye Window_. No lexile measure is available, but the words are very simple to read. I doubt if preschoolers would be interested in the meaning of the text but they are likely to enjoy the colorful illustrations.

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple read with only a few words on each page. The book comes with a CD and is meant to be the inspirational embodiment of the song's positive message. The book starts with the phrase, "For each child that's born, a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are." And continues with phrases like, "We are the breath of our ancestors," and "sisters of mercy, brothers of love."

The illustrations by Pinkney are packed full of action. Done in pastel watercolor and goache, they show a wide mix of multi-racial children playing and celebrating

[Tiffany]

I like this book because it is really spiritual and focus on that part of the human experience. I think there is a lot of new vocabulary you could go over in this book.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book! Very short but means a lot! Great way for children to relate to their family members and show who they really are through them!

[Cindy Minnich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the poem that stretched across the beautifully illustrated pages. I shared this one at summer camp, too, as we were talking about community and diversity, faith and hope.