Circle Unbroken

by Margot Theis Raven, E.B. Lewis

Keeping the African heritage alive As she teaches her granddaughter to sew a traditional sweetgrass basket, a grandmother weaves a story, going back generations to her old-timey grandfather's village in faraway Africa. There, as a boy, he learned to make baskets so tightly woven they could hold the rain. Even after being stolen away to a slave ship bound for America, he remembers what he learned and passes these memories on to his children - as they do theirs, so that . . . when your fingers talk just right
that circle will go out and out again -
past slavery and freedom, old ways and new,
and your basket will hold the past . . . This powerful picture book, with its rhythmic text and evocative paintings, spirals through time, becoming a triumphant song - a rich story of a craft, a culture, and a people.

Genres: Picture Books, Cultural, History, Family, Childrens, Africa, African American

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written story of the history of the sweetgrass baskets of South Carolina and Georgia. When a young girl asks her grandmother about the baskets, her grandmother patiently tells to story of long ago slavery when her grandfather was taken from his African home and used as a slave on a plantation. After the Civil War, the grandfather and grandmother marry.

They continue the African tradition of the sweetgrass basket weaving. And thus, the circles contained in the basket are a symbolic measure of the circle that binds together.

Two Stars

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Good story about basket making, family history, and memory.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text Summary
“And time has come now, child, for you to learn the knot that ties us all together—The circle unbroken.” The words of a grandmother to her granddaughter unfold in this story about the longstanding African tradition of sweetgrass basket sewing. When the child asks her grandmother how she’s learned to sew, the grandmother takes the child to a place in the past on the coast of West Africa. The child’s “old-timey” grandfather was initiated into manhood by answering the question, “Can you bring water in a basket?” However, soon after, he is captured, bought to America, and sold as a slave to a plantation owner. He continues his basket weaving, and the tradition continues to be passed down for generations. The grandmother retells her history with basket weaving as well, and narrates the union between the child’s grandfather and her. She describes the changes that come with time, but the tradition of the sweet baskets remains strong from generation to generation.

Literary merits
Raven incorporates a rich cultural experience along with a vivid narrative. Her language constructs tones of nostalgia and hope, while also painting a picture of the place where these traditions come from: “On the hills by the river grew pale stalks of rice to feed the village and the spirits of the land. By the banks of the rivers grew tall, grassy reeds to weave into baskets to winnow the rice.” The imagery works hand in hand with the vivid watercolor illustrations on every page of this book to provide the audience with a powerful reading experience.

Classroom Recommendations
Ages 5 and up. This text would serve nicely as a read aloud for any grade level. As an independent read, I would suggest 3rd grade or higher. This is mostly because there is some more sophisticated language throughout the text. I would also recommend that teachers cover some background on the tradition to scaffold student’s understanding of the cultural content in the text. The author provides some useful background information at the back of the book, which can serve as a great resource.

[538pm_sarahszymanski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: A grandmother teaches her granddaughter both the art and history of making sweetgrass basket. The book depicts generation after generation witnessing major historical events that impact the path of African culture in the United States. Circle Unbroken brings to life the customs and hardships that encompass the history surrounding this African art form.

While the content in this book are more suited for older elementary students, Circle Unbroken can bring to life a rich historical account of African history, culture, and tradition. This book does discuss some more complex social topics and uses some unfamiliar language, but also provides readers with an authentic journey through trials and triumphs, customs and traditions. It is a powerful journey through a cultural history worth taking.


Author: Margot Theis Raven
Illustrator: E.B. Lewis
Award(s)/Honor(s): IRA Notable Books for a Global Society; NCTE Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts; NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies; Booklist Editors' Choice; South Carolina Children's Book Award Master List; Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List.
Fiction; African Americans; Gullahs
Grades: Pre-5

Theme: The theme of this book is African traditional and cultural endurance through countless hardships. Circle Unbroken could be used as part of a text set on cultural/African traditions, generational traditions, U.S./world history, or slavery.

Readers’ Advisory: While this book is noted to be for preschool through 5th grade, its contents may be too complex and abstract for younger children. Since a portion of this book is dedicated slavery, it may be considered inappropriate for younger children. Teachers should also note that there is some new/difficult vocabulary and should pre-plan how to address these words throughout the text.

[McKayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the full page illustrations, and I thought the story was beautiful—a family tradition being passed down for generations. This is a story of endurance in the face of adversity. The tradition of basket weaving is kept— though the ancestors are forcefully removed from their homeland and forced into slavery in America. Despite this the family holds their traditions close and continues to teach the new generations.

I would have given the book 5 stars, if it had not glazed over the family being sold into slavery. The pictures of those parts tell you the people are heartbroken, but there is nothing in the text to indicate the struggles this family faced as slaves. Even though that is not the point of the story, I still think it is historically inaccurate to leave that out because it is an essential part of the story.

Scholastic recommends this book for grades 3-5. I think this book would be a good tool to speak about family traditions, but I think other material would also be needed to supplement information about the horrors of being taken from your home and forced to be a slave in another country.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet story about tradition and change. The premise of this story centers around the tradition of basket weaving, with each basket made of unbroken circles, told by the grandmother. It follows a family from their village in Africa to the states where they are slaves. From there, through the civil war and ends with a note for the future. The unbroken circle of the basket symbolizes the unending passing down of this tradition despite the change that is taking place throughout the book. Just as the circles of the basket are unending, so is this tradition. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. They are done with watercolor and are very vivid and lively. The illustrations stunningly depict each passage on that page and add character and life. This is a great realistic fiction children’s book that show the importance of keeping with tradition and honoring your past/heritage. It is a quick read that is engaging and enjoyable.

[Jordan Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful book is about a grandmother teaching her granddaughter how to sew traditional sweetgrass baskets. The story begins with the grandmother telling stories, going back generations to her old-timey grandfathers village in Africa. She tells her granddaughter that her grandfather learned to weave sweetgrass baskets that could hold the rain. He was stolen away to a slave ship that was headed to America, and he remembered what he learned and passed these memories on to his children. I enjoyed this book a lot because of its meaning. The importance of tradition and culture cannot be undermined. The illustrations in this book are pleasing to the eye and are easy to follow. This book would be suitable for second through fifth grade and can be used to teach symbolism and imagery. 

[Julianna Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is beautifully illustrated with water color and follows the story of a families heritage and backstory. We see the story start with a grandfather and how he learned to we've a basket so tight that it could hold water, and after he was sold into slavery he taught the skill to his daughter in America. The story shows how to keep a hold of heritage and culture with something as little as weaving a basket. A beautiful story that could be good for a younger elementary school audience.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Grade Level: 3-4


"Circle Unbroken," by Margot Theis Raven is a book that will help to explore different cultures. When teaching about different cultures you could read this book and find the different ways that traditions are passed down through a different part of the world. This is a book that would definitley be handing to have in the classroom for different units that you might teach.

[Darci Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have this book in my classroom library someday! Such a great book about African culture and history, particularly the Gullah people. Beautiful illustrations and soothing words that could be used in a unit of African culture. You could tie in the basket-weaving by showing videos of it, or if you have visited a place that does those bring one in, or even have the class make their own "baskets" with construction paper.

[Jessica Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades- 3-5
Genre: African-Americans Fiction

Circle Unbroken was a short, great, read. I loved reading about how the sewing of sweetgrass baskets were such a huge part in African culture. It warmed my heart to read about how the sweetgrass baskets were much more than just baskets. It is not common that something so simple could mean so much! I would recommend this book to young readers to learn about African culture through a good book. Read to find out what meaning the sweetgrass baskets hold!

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 3 out of 5]

And when your fingers talk just right
that circle will go out and out again-
past slavery and freedom, old ways and new,
and your basket will hold the past-
Just as surely and tightly
as my arms now hold and circle you...

A grandmother tells her granddaughter about the history of the sweetgrass basket. The tale starts in Africa, moves to America through the slave trade, and continues on generation after generation.

Sweetly written, beautifully painted.

[Jordan Vinson]

"Circle Unbroken" is a great story about a grandmother explaining the history of baskets to her granddaughter. She explains how the history goes all the way back to Africa. The illustrations are very beautiful and engaging. The story explains how even through the hardships of slavery, the lessons and ideas such as basket making got taught and passed down to others.
Age Level:6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story showing some of the cultural legacy that was brought from Africa and passed on to the present. I didn't deduct anything from my rating (3 stars) but it inaccurately leaves out that Africans themselves were involved in the slave trade, and instead suggests that white people came and abducted people from their villages.

[Darlena Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was endearing. I like the storytelling aspect which honors the African heritage and I also like the inclusion of basket weaving. There are present-day male and female basket weavers in North Carolina. It is always good to make a connection for learners to see that what they read about in a book mirrors life.

[Jessica Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was such a cool story. It shows how family traditions and customs are brought down from one generation to the next. There is some fun stuff that you can talk about when you talk about traditions.

[Natasha Galbraith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weaving of sweetgrass baskets is a tangible way of showing how ancestral knowledge is passed on from generation to generation. Would have given four/five stars if it weren't for the simplistic depiction of the Civil War.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the author discussed the artistry in Nanking the baskets. She weaved (pun intended) history and art. Talking about slavery is hard, however I liked that she focused on the traditions kept, which I'm sure the slave owners tried so hard to eradicate. Great read.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Margot Theis Raven has created a story which shares Gullah history and heritage through the sewing of a sweetgrass coil basket. E.B. Lewis’ watercolor illustrations are filled with emotion and life.

[Nona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and lyrical story that speaks of the Atlantic slave trade, cultural transfusion of the diaspora, family and change.

[Ivory · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about slavery and family traditions. I liked the way this book flipped from past to present. A good classroom library good.
Copyright: 2004

[Michelle Akers-dicken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful story about the circle of life... or how generations are bound together throughout history.

[Amy Bodkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written book about Gullah history in South Carolina!

[Myka Ellenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade level: 3-5
I liked this book a lot. It shows the importance of tradition, story telling or experience sharing, and why we must remember where we came from. Life changes constantly and this book exemplifies that while also maintaining the importance of knowing who we are.

[Laura Rumohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary-
Circle Unbroken is intended for children k-3. This picture book is about a grandmother who is teaching her granddaughter the art of weaving beautiful sweetgrass baskets. As the young girl is learning, she asked her grandmother how she learned to make baskets. Her grandmother then explained that her ancestors began making baskets in South Africa many years ago. When her "old timey" grandfather was sold into slavery he brought his basket weaving skills with him and taught his family the art of basket weaving in the evenings after working in the fields all day. Once slavery was abolished, the family kept making baskets. Each generation has since learned the art of making these magnificent baskets which they believe tie their family together.

Review-
Margot Theis Raven does a wonderful job of embedding the history of basketweaving into the grandmother's teaching of the art to her granddaughter. This historical story flows beautifully and has poetic language throughout.

E.B. Lewis created the illustrations with watercolor. Each picture is authentic and detailed so that children can gain a better understanding of the sweetgrass Gullah basket.

At the end of the story, there is a small section that contains more history about sweetgrass baskets and a bibliography. This provides the reader with an even clearer picture of the art brought over from Africa in the 1700s.

I truly believe that children of all ages could find appreciation for this book because of the rich African-American history and beautiful illustrations that complement the text.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margot Theis Raven, in her book Circle Unbroken, tells the story of teaching her granddaughter the art of making sweetgrass baskets while explaining the history of her people. The basket making becomes a metaphor for the African people, their life and culture. Just as the baskets start with a circle that is unbroken so is the history of their people. They started out with a rich life in Africa before they were taken away to a strange new land by the slave traders. They continued the tradition of basket making in South Carolina through slavery and civil war to where they are today--still creating as their African ancestors did.
I love this book for the way it flows, and the beautiful illustrations. The story expresses powerful pieces of history in such natural and beautiful ways. It shows that even though the memories are painful they are part of what makes them who they are, and can never be forgotten. There is a part in the end where white tourists come through to buy the beautiful baskets--as if they are a new thing. This highlights the importance of sharing traditions, and the stories that go with them, with all Americans. In this way people of all races can start to value and respect the circle of life that we all share.

[Lauren Grogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While teaching her granddaughter how to weave a basket, the grandmother begins to tell the story of her grandfather, and how he weaved baskets. She tells about how he learned to weave, and his experience as a slave. Even after her grandfather was a slave, he still passed down his knowledge about weaving to his children. This book tells the story of sweetgrass basket weaving of the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry, a craft that was brought over with the slaves on slave ships from West Africa in the 1700s and 1800s, and passed down through the generations. The story is told from a grandmother to her granddaughter as she teaches the granddaughter the art of sewing the sweetgrass baskets as well as the history of their people. This picture book maybe better suited for older elementary students because of its content. For example, younger students may not recognize the seriousness of slavery, therefore the story would not be as powerful or have the same impact. It is a good story about keeping traditions alive, and passing down art forms to family.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Circle Unbroken was selected as a 2005 Children’s Africana Book Award Honor Book for Young Children. It follows the earliest history of basket-weaving from Africans captured from the Windward Coast of West Africa by slave-traders. Their skills have been passed down drom generation to generation, and some of you may be familiar with the sweetgrass “coil” or “Gullah” basket, still found made in the islands off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia today. It is written in small stories as each generation taught the next this art form of basket making from those beginnings all the way through to 20th century wars. when bridge-builders came and joined the islands to the mainland. One line shows the poignancy of change: “What’s coming, Grandma?” the yard children cried. “Tomorrow,” she sighed. The beautiful realistic watercolor illustrations are realistic, showing the stories as the book moves through the years.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! Although published in 2004, it was a new one for me. I picked it up at the library because the illustrator is E.B. Lewis, and I've been a fan of his since seeing his work in some of my favorite Jacqueline Woodson books: Each Kindness, Coming On Home Soon, and The Other Side. There is something about his illustrations that just captivate me. Maybe it's the soft, gentleness combined with amazing detail. Whatever it is, I just love his work.
Circle Unbroken tells the story of sweetgrass basket weaving of the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry, a craft that was brought over with the slaves on slave ships from West Africa in the 1700s and 1800s, and passed down through the generations. The story is told from a grandmother to her granddaughter as she teaches the granddaughter the art of sewing the sweetgrass baskets as well as the history of their people.
What a lucky find this was!

[Kayla Kupinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a Grandmother telling her granddaughter the story of how she learned to sew baskets. The grandmother starts all the way at the beginning during slavery and how tells her granddaughter how it has been passed down generation after generation and that it is now her time to learn.
Circle Unbroken is a beautiful story that shows the power of traditions and customs to hold families together through generations and difficult times. It brings light and awareness to a practice that is not as appreciated in todays day in age, so I thought this book was very informational as well as entertaining.
This book could be used in a lesson to teach about the cultural practice of basket weaving in a history lesson. A fun follow up activity could be weaving using paper strips, so students could make connections between the book and what they are doing. It could also be used in a lesson about slavery.