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I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage
Starred review, Kirkus Reviews
Starred review, Publishers Weekly
Starred review, School Library Journal
Best Books of 2019, Kirkus Reviews
From the joyous to the poignant, poems by award-winning, diverse poets are paired with images by celebrated illustrators from similar backgrounds to pay homage to what is both unique and universal about growing up in the United States. Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander takes us on a riotous ride through good times and sad spent with his extended family a journey perfectly captured by Coretta Scott King Award winner Michele Wood s vibrant overflowing and overlapping images. Pura Belpré Award winner Margarita Engle shares happy memories of learning to embroider, accompanied by fine artist and printmaker Paula Barragán s colorful graphic representation of a granddaughter and grandmother at work. Bestselling author Nick Bruel talks about his confusion over having to define himself by a single racial label, which is brought to life by newcomer Janine Macbeth s reflective image of herself trying to figure out her own mixed ancestry. Together these heartfelt poems and captivating illustrations shine a light on the rich diversity of people in our nation as well as the timeless human connections and experiences we all share. Readers of any age and background will find much that sparks their memories and opens their eyes.
Starred review, Publishers Weekly
Starred review, School Library Journal
Best Books of 2019, Kirkus Reviews
From the joyous to the poignant, poems by award-winning, diverse poets are paired with images by celebrated illustrators from similar backgrounds to pay homage to what is both unique and universal about growing up in the United States. Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander takes us on a riotous ride through good times and sad spent with his extended family a journey perfectly captured by Coretta Scott King Award winner Michele Wood s vibrant overflowing and overlapping images. Pura Belpré Award winner Margarita Engle shares happy memories of learning to embroider, accompanied by fine artist and printmaker Paula Barragán s colorful graphic representation of a granddaughter and grandmother at work. Bestselling author Nick Bruel talks about his confusion over having to define himself by a single racial label, which is brought to life by newcomer Janine Macbeth s reflective image of herself trying to figure out her own mixed ancestry. Together these heartfelt poems and captivating illustrations shine a light on the rich diversity of people in our nation as well as the timeless human connections and experiences we all share. Readers of any age and background will find much that sparks their memories and opens their eyes.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Lee Bennett Hopkins
206 books52 followersLee Bennett Hopkins was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2017. He holds a Guinness Book of Records citation for compiling the most anthologies for children. He has also received the Christopher Award, the Regina Medal, and the National Council of Teachers of English Excellence in Poetry for Children Award. He lives in Florida.
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 21, 2020
I selected this book based on the recommendation of my librarian. It is included in the American Library Association’s 2020 list of Notable Children’s Books and Kirkus Review’s list of Best Books.
I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage is a collection of poems and illustrations by a diverse, accomplished group of writers and artists. The poems and illustrations are presented in pairs, with many of the paired artists and writers having similar backgrounds. There is a brief quote from the artist before each illustration and poem. Also, there is an “About the Poets and Artists” section at the end with a current and childhood photo of each contributor. The poems and illustrations are based on childhood memories and collectively bound together by themes of culture, identity, family, and community.
My favorite poem in the collection was Rez Road by Joseph Bruchac. He acknowledges the struggle and celebrates the resilience of his culture with his final lines, “No matter how many roads they build, Mother Earth is always beneath our feet.” The accompanying illustration by David Kanietakeron Fadden depicts a grandfather’s face against bright green grass, the sun, and two roads. Beneath his face are the roots under the grass, supporting Bruchac’s words, “hidden roots give you strength.” Fadden and Bruchac are both of Native heritage.
The diversity of the cultural content is broad, making this book a great addition to any classroom library. The poems and illustrations are all delivered from authentic voices, and the variety of backgrounds and experiences shared mirrors the diversity that exists in our society. This text would be appropriate for all types of readers, 3rd grade and up. Teachers could use it as a mentor text for narrative poetry or memoir writing. They could select individual poems to read aloud and let students discuss and respond. Teachers could also have students work in pairs to create a connected poem and piece of art, which could be bound together in a class book.
I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage is a collection of poems and illustrations by a diverse, accomplished group of writers and artists. The poems and illustrations are presented in pairs, with many of the paired artists and writers having similar backgrounds. There is a brief quote from the artist before each illustration and poem. Also, there is an “About the Poets and Artists” section at the end with a current and childhood photo of each contributor. The poems and illustrations are based on childhood memories and collectively bound together by themes of culture, identity, family, and community.
My favorite poem in the collection was Rez Road by Joseph Bruchac. He acknowledges the struggle and celebrates the resilience of his culture with his final lines, “No matter how many roads they build, Mother Earth is always beneath our feet.” The accompanying illustration by David Kanietakeron Fadden depicts a grandfather’s face against bright green grass, the sun, and two roads. Beneath his face are the roots under the grass, supporting Bruchac’s words, “hidden roots give you strength.” Fadden and Bruchac are both of Native heritage.
The diversity of the cultural content is broad, making this book a great addition to any classroom library. The poems and illustrations are all delivered from authentic voices, and the variety of backgrounds and experiences shared mirrors the diversity that exists in our society. This text would be appropriate for all types of readers, 3rd grade and up. Teachers could use it as a mentor text for narrative poetry or memoir writing. They could select individual poems to read aloud and let students discuss and respond. Teachers could also have students work in pairs to create a connected poem and piece of art, which could be bound together in a class book.
July 3, 2021
Why haven't more people read this? Childhood, culture, heritage, poetry, art, and what all of those things mean to these writers and artists...what more could you ask for? This was incredibly beautiful. Please add it to your to-read lists and pick it up soon. It's quick and just absolutely wonderful.
April 11, 2020
Numerous fantastic poems, but possibly the best part are the quotes from the poets the precede the poems.
"To define poetry is like defining love:
A poem is a glimpse.
A poem is a glimmer.
Something that makes your whole soul shimmer.
A poem is a taste.
A poem is a sip.
Something to make your whole heart flip."
~Douglas Florian
"[Poetry] is the great rest stop in life. 'Pause here,' it says. 'Be filled with seeing. Say something simple and true.'"
~Naomi Shihab Nye
"I think of poetry as the soul of literature. It is what we see and hear the moment before sleep takes us. It is the space between wingbeats. The pause between heartbeats.... It is also a single great line. A word discovered after an afternoon of trying. An emotion caught in the hand, in the mouth. Two words that bump up against each other and create something new."
~Jane Yolen
"To define poetry is like defining love:
A poem is a glimpse.
A poem is a glimmer.
Something that makes your whole soul shimmer.
A poem is a taste.
A poem is a sip.
Something to make your whole heart flip."
~Douglas Florian
"[Poetry] is the great rest stop in life. 'Pause here,' it says. 'Be filled with seeing. Say something simple and true.'"
~Naomi Shihab Nye
"I think of poetry as the soul of literature. It is what we see and hear the moment before sleep takes us. It is the space between wingbeats. The pause between heartbeats.... It is also a single great line. A word discovered after an afternoon of trying. An emotion caught in the hand, in the mouth. Two words that bump up against each other and create something new."
~Jane Yolen
January 14, 2020
This is one of the final books edited by the late Lee Bennett Hopkins and it is a treasure he and many poets and artists have given us. In his intro, Lee writes "Heritage makes us who we are." And by collecting these pieces, he has shown that. You might see yourselves in this book, art or words, or some may connect another personal memory. Sean Qualls' cover art gives a glimpse of what's inside. It will make a beautiful pairing with George Ella Lyons' "Where I'm From" poem if you and students are doing some exploration of heritage.
January 12, 2020
Thank you to Lee and Low for sharing a copy of I Remember with Collabookation.
This book is so much more than the sum of it's parts, but I'll deconstruct anyway. For every poem, the poet talks about the magic of poetry and what poetry means to them. The artists do the same.
Every poem highlights the magic of childhood, family, and heritage. Several address the harm inflicted upon people by dominant cultures.
This book belongs in every classroom.
This book is so much more than the sum of it's parts, but I'll deconstruct anyway. For every poem, the poet talks about the magic of poetry and what poetry means to them. The artists do the same.
Every poem highlights the magic of childhood, family, and heritage. Several address the harm inflicted upon people by dominant cultures.
This book belongs in every classroom.
December 25, 2019
Read for the Mock Caldecott Awards. This is a lovely book with a collection of poems and illustrations by various authors/artists. Each picture or poem is prefaced by a brief statement from the artist that explains their feelings about their particular art form. What a wonderful introduction to poetry and art for a young person.
March 8, 2020
Lee Bennett Hopkins was not only gifted poet but a brilliant anthologist for poems on various topics and themes. This collection is just such a wonder and contains works that will enthrall young readers (individually and as a collection). It also offers diverse and engaging mentor poems for young writers ( and the rest of us]!
January 18, 2020
Read this book from back to front. Start with the child+adult author and illustrator photos and background information. Then read each memory poem and picture pair. Finally, savor each poet’s definition of poetry.
February 27, 2020
Authors with diverse identities, pronunctuation guide with student-friendly definitions,
February 29, 2020
See also: We Are the Change by Harry Belafonte
ALA ALSC Notable 2020
ALA ALSC Notable 2020
August 9, 2019
Reviewed from an F&G copy of the book.
The late poet Lee Bennett Hopkins asked 14 beloved children’s writers and poets to write an original poem that “shares a memorable childhood moment and reflects on the unique heritage/tradition/belief that shaped their lives” for this beautiful anthology of poetry celebrating diversity. He then reached out to 16 incredibly talented young illustrators, pairing each with a poet/poem from a similar background, and challenged them to create a piece of artwork that expanded and enhanced that powerful poem. Additionally, each author and illustrator drafted an artist’s statement to accompany their work, which gives the contribution a framework. Finally, each contributed two photographs - one of him/herself as a youth and one as an adult. The photos and a bio for each author and illustrator are appended in the back of the book.
This amazing anthology captures diversity at its best – how growing up is the same for all of us, yet can be so different. There is joy and beauty in all. The rest of this review breaks apart the pieces that make this work so stunning in its complexity and completeness.
Sean Qualls created the amazing book jacket artwork of mixed media collage. It features three diverse children with a bright blue background, each looking toward their future, firmly in the reality of their “now”. Above their heads is an outline of (what could be) one of them in that “starry future”, remembering clearly what it was like “back then”. Opening with Hopkins’ eloquent paragraph-long thoughts on how to red and enjoy this book, it then moves into the pairs of poems and illustrations who work seamlessly together. They include:
• Simone Shin captures the moment a mother and daughter are opening a gift for Janet S. Wong’s poem “Mother’s Day”
• Insoo Kim shows 2 boys walking away from school with Wong’s “Speak Up”
• Michele Wood captures the essence of Kwame Alexander’s detailed poem “Here’s What I Remember”
• Paula Barragan visualizes the bond between granddaughter and grandmother as they embroider together in Margarita Engle’s “La visita”
• Neil Waldman shows as Douglas Florian reminisces about the talents of a late grandfather
• Jeanne Rorex Bridges and Cynthia Leitich Smith meet a legendary Aunt
• Sawsan Chalabi and Naomi Shihab Nye both experience the magic of Peace
• Rafael Lopez and Jorge Tetl Argueta celebrate the fantastic possibilities that the future holds for each person
• R. Gregory Christie and Marilyn Nelson consider what lies down the road in the future and Route 66
• Nick Bruel and Janine Macbeth explore self-identity
• G. Neri and Charlotte Riley-Webb use the analogy of gumbo to emphasize that we are the sum of the pieces/receipe that make us who and what we are
• Jane Yolen and Julie Downing both call the child back home for the night
• Joseph Bruchac and Dan Kanietakeron Fadden recall how the past and the now are present in young and old
• Daniel Minter and Carole Boston Weatherford aspire to succeed in his/her own way as all of their ancestors succeeded at something
• Guadalupe Garcia McCall shows the uncertainty of adolescence and Juliet Mendendez shows how parental support helps adolescents overcome this uncertainty
This is one to read over and over again for new meaning. Read and ponder…
Highly Recommended for grades 3-8.
The late poet Lee Bennett Hopkins asked 14 beloved children’s writers and poets to write an original poem that “shares a memorable childhood moment and reflects on the unique heritage/tradition/belief that shaped their lives” for this beautiful anthology of poetry celebrating diversity. He then reached out to 16 incredibly talented young illustrators, pairing each with a poet/poem from a similar background, and challenged them to create a piece of artwork that expanded and enhanced that powerful poem. Additionally, each author and illustrator drafted an artist’s statement to accompany their work, which gives the contribution a framework. Finally, each contributed two photographs - one of him/herself as a youth and one as an adult. The photos and a bio for each author and illustrator are appended in the back of the book.
This amazing anthology captures diversity at its best – how growing up is the same for all of us, yet can be so different. There is joy and beauty in all. The rest of this review breaks apart the pieces that make this work so stunning in its complexity and completeness.
Sean Qualls created the amazing book jacket artwork of mixed media collage. It features three diverse children with a bright blue background, each looking toward their future, firmly in the reality of their “now”. Above their heads is an outline of (what could be) one of them in that “starry future”, remembering clearly what it was like “back then”. Opening with Hopkins’ eloquent paragraph-long thoughts on how to red and enjoy this book, it then moves into the pairs of poems and illustrations who work seamlessly together. They include:
• Simone Shin captures the moment a mother and daughter are opening a gift for Janet S. Wong’s poem “Mother’s Day”
• Insoo Kim shows 2 boys walking away from school with Wong’s “Speak Up”
• Michele Wood captures the essence of Kwame Alexander’s detailed poem “Here’s What I Remember”
• Paula Barragan visualizes the bond between granddaughter and grandmother as they embroider together in Margarita Engle’s “La visita”
• Neil Waldman shows as Douglas Florian reminisces about the talents of a late grandfather
• Jeanne Rorex Bridges and Cynthia Leitich Smith meet a legendary Aunt
• Sawsan Chalabi and Naomi Shihab Nye both experience the magic of Peace
• Rafael Lopez and Jorge Tetl Argueta celebrate the fantastic possibilities that the future holds for each person
• R. Gregory Christie and Marilyn Nelson consider what lies down the road in the future and Route 66
• Nick Bruel and Janine Macbeth explore self-identity
• G. Neri and Charlotte Riley-Webb use the analogy of gumbo to emphasize that we are the sum of the pieces/receipe that make us who and what we are
• Jane Yolen and Julie Downing both call the child back home for the night
• Joseph Bruchac and Dan Kanietakeron Fadden recall how the past and the now are present in young and old
• Daniel Minter and Carole Boston Weatherford aspire to succeed in his/her own way as all of their ancestors succeeded at something
• Guadalupe Garcia McCall shows the uncertainty of adolescence and Juliet Mendendez shows how parental support helps adolescents overcome this uncertainty
This is one to read over and over again for new meaning. Read and ponder…
Highly Recommended for grades 3-8.
November 23, 2020
This book is really beautiful. It is filled with poems about families and their stories. This book is a great way for kids to be introduced to poetry.
November 29, 2019
This wonderful collection of poems and illustrations speak directly to the poets’ cultural heritage. Each poem looks deeply at family and identity, whether it is being asked where you come from or meeting a family member for the first time. Some of the poems show the fear of being African-American in America, the oversimplification of race when filling out forms, the way food can bring people together, and the joy of summer nights. The illustrations paired with each of the poems highlight the wide variety of cultures and heritages in the texts. The result is a rainbow of skin tones and colors, weaving together to create a book that reflects the vastness of our country.
The poems and illustrations in this book are very impressive. As they play through the authors’ memories of their childhoods and the variety of emotions those memories evoke, the reader gets the pleasure of visiting each author’s experience. Poetry always gives a more concentrated look, a deep feel for the author, and that is certainly the case here. The illustrations are wonderful, each self-contained and presented almost as a treasure to discover along this journey.
A great compilation of art and poetry that celebrates diversity and inclusion. Appropriate for ages 7-10.
The poems and illustrations in this book are very impressive. As they play through the authors’ memories of their childhoods and the variety of emotions those memories evoke, the reader gets the pleasure of visiting each author’s experience. Poetry always gives a more concentrated look, a deep feel for the author, and that is certainly the case here. The illustrations are wonderful, each self-contained and presented almost as a treasure to discover along this journey.
A great compilation of art and poetry that celebrates diversity and inclusion. Appropriate for ages 7-10.
November 27, 2019
You can read them over the course of days or in hours. You may find yourself whispering, "Oh my goodness." You may stop at a point and softly gasp. You may begin to cry. You may feel a large grin begin to spread across your face. This is the effect carefully chosen words by authors and articulately created art by illustrators has on readers.
As I hold I Remember: Poems And Pictures Of Heritage (Lee & Low Books Inc., October 22, 2019) edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins in my hands quietly turning the pages, I am emotionally invested and captivated. It is a slim volume, but when opened, a world is released and surrounds you. This stirring compilation of fifteen poems by fourteen authors and illustrations by sixteen artists is certain to encourage readers to reflect on their own lives. In his short introduction, the late poet, Lee Bennett Hopkins, ends with these five words, staggered and each on their own line:
Read.
Look.
Listen.
Hear.
See.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
As I hold I Remember: Poems And Pictures Of Heritage (Lee & Low Books Inc., October 22, 2019) edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins in my hands quietly turning the pages, I am emotionally invested and captivated. It is a slim volume, but when opened, a world is released and surrounds you. This stirring compilation of fifteen poems by fourteen authors and illustrations by sixteen artists is certain to encourage readers to reflect on their own lives. In his short introduction, the late poet, Lee Bennett Hopkins, ends with these five words, staggered and each on their own line:
Read.
Look.
Listen.
Hear.
See.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
November 30, 2020
This book was a beautiful collection of poems with some special stories about lots of different cultures, races, religions, genders, and relationships. I loved how this book had a story for everyone to connect to. The illustrations are also amazing and very colorful, which I think reflects the richness of each of the stories and how as individuals, we all reflect our own colors from our own stories. In a classroom, it is critical that every student can find themselves in the books and this book is a great one to start out with because it has a poem for almost everyone. It also exposes students and children to stories about others. If we ever want to defeat the oppression in the world, we have to start by exposing our youngest to the stories and experiences of others. The human story is beautiful in how it is so unique and diverse. There are 8 billion of us on the planet and not a single one of us will tell the exact same story. As educators we need to show children that it is a beautiful thing, not a bad thing. Having diverse books, like this one, will help students to start to grasp that concept.
November 30, 2019
This one is a 3.5 for me, and I can certainly see its uses in many classrooms or just for those trying to make sense of the world and our own culture and upbringing. Fourteen poets, including Kwame Alexander, Carol Boston Weatherford, and Janet S. Wong, bring their considerable writing skills to bear as they remember their own unique formative experiences. Additionally, sixteen illustrators, incuding R. Gregory Christie and Sean Qualls, share their own artistic reflections on their heritages. My personal favorites--but really, I loved them all--included Carol Boston Weatherford's "What My Kinfolk Made," Nick Bruel's "Pick One," and the always-precise Janet Wong's "Mother's Day" and "Speak Up." Perfect for sharing aloud or ruminating about in a quiet, private setting, these poems and artwork might also serve as mentor texts for budding poets and artists. Thumbnail sketches of each contributor in the back matter allows readers to see what these creative individuals looked like when they were young as well as now and to learn a little bit more about them and their inspirations.
January 22, 2020
A beautiful anthology of so many individual voices coming together!
I didn't love every poem, because in an anthology--who does? But I read so many poems that I would never have seen if they had been in collections only of like poems. And isn't that the point of anthologies? To hear a huge variety of voices and, in this case, to see a wide variety of art styles. A few of my favorites in here were poems by Janet Wong, Douglas Florian, and Carole Boston Weatherford.
My only gripe would be in the design area. I hated it when a page with an illustration and quote by the artist interrupted a poem that covered more than one page. One text interrupting another just stopped the flow of the poems for me.
I didn't love every poem, because in an anthology--who does? But I read so many poems that I would never have seen if they had been in collections only of like poems. And isn't that the point of anthologies? To hear a huge variety of voices and, in this case, to see a wide variety of art styles. A few of my favorites in here were poems by Janet Wong, Douglas Florian, and Carole Boston Weatherford.
My only gripe would be in the design area. I hated it when a page with an illustration and quote by the artist interrupted a poem that covered more than one page. One text interrupting another just stopped the flow of the poems for me.
November 24, 2019
How do you check “other” on a form asking about your race when you are bi-racial and more than an other? Do you have childhood memories spent with your grandmother? When you taste a specific food what memories come to mind that evoke your childhood? These questions and more are pondered in this book that’s rich with the voices of well-known diverse authors sharing their childhood memories through poetry. Read the rest of the review on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....
November 28, 2019
14 poets.
16 illustrators.
One dynamic presentation of heritages, traditions, and family wrapped in poetic childhood memories. Recall your own memories and share this book poems --some in rhyme, all in flow--during holiday visits with extended family and friends.
Don't judge this book by its cover, LEEandLOW's "I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage" compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins is a treat. 3✴!
16 illustrators.
One dynamic presentation of heritages, traditions, and family wrapped in poetic childhood memories. Recall your own memories and share this book poems --some in rhyme, all in flow--during holiday visits with extended family and friends.
Don't judge this book by its cover, LEEandLOW's "I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage" compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins is a treat. 3✴!
December 9, 2019
The only reason why I didn't give this 5 stars is because the format broke the poems and disturbed the flow and fragmented the meaning sometimes. Vexation.
Read this please. Talk about this please. Share this please.
Who were you when you were a child? Are you that same person now? Is the world the same? Examining where we come from and who we are, through poetry authors and illustrators tell/show their stories and trust us with their hearts. What an amazing gift!
Read this please. Talk about this please. Share this please.
Who were you when you were a child? Are you that same person now? Is the world the same? Examining where we come from and who we are, through poetry authors and illustrators tell/show their stories and trust us with their hearts. What an amazing gift!
March 7, 2020
The art is pretty good, though I like some better than others. There is much more variation in the quality level of the poems. There are a lot of family themes and interesting ideas, so I was thinking the book was just okay, but at the end with all of the contributors they have a childhood and an adult picture, and I think a lot of kids might really like that. It seems like a good touch.
June 23, 2020
"Poetry is a bridge between my own thoughts and feelings, between separate individuals and between cultures." Margarita Engle
I really enjoyed this collection of diverse poems from different authors, this is a great way to introduce them to our students and get them interested in their other work. I especially liked that every poem is accompanied of an illustration to represent that poem, for example there's a poem by Janet S. Wong titled Mother's Day, next to it, there's an illustration of a mother and a child, in this, the little girl is giving mom a gift that she seems to have wrapped herself. I love that this collection is the work of many artists in just one place. I would recommend this book to be used in classrooms starting in grade 3 through 7.
I really enjoyed this collection of diverse poems from different authors, this is a great way to introduce them to our students and get them interested in their other work. I especially liked that every poem is accompanied of an illustration to represent that poem, for example there's a poem by Janet S. Wong titled Mother's Day, next to it, there's an illustration of a mother and a child, in this, the little girl is giving mom a gift that she seems to have wrapped herself. I love that this collection is the work of many artists in just one place. I would recommend this book to be used in classrooms starting in grade 3 through 7.
November 19, 2020
I loved reading about different cultures and their traditions. The illustrations were beneficial because sometimes when traditions or celebrations are different from your own, it can be difficult to picture what the author is talking about. I also liked the pronunciation and definitions at the bottom of each poem page because it helps us better understand the culture. Poetry isn't my favorite style of writing but having the illustrations made the stories more interesting and engaging for me. I love having sorts of different heritages in one book because it was nice to see different aspects of cultures all in one and being able to compare pictures, for example, and their different styles.
December 9, 2020
In this collection of poems and pictures of heritage, there is something for every reader to connect to in some way or another. Everyone experiences life in different ways but there might be some small piece or type of situation that might resonate with someone else as well and I think this collection does well with showcasing diverse life experiences. One of the other great things about this book is how it includes information about every author and illustrator in the back of the book so that when a reader really resonates with a specific poem or artwork, they can put a face to the name and be encouraged to look more into them and their other work.
August 26, 2024
This collection of poetry and artwork seems like its target audience is other poets and artists, not kids. That said, these are moving poems and images, most created by authors of children’s literature. The poems and illustrations are based on childhood memories and unified by themes of identity, ethnicity, family, community, and culture. End pages include an extensive “Poets and Artists” section with photos and bios of each contributor.
Favorite Poems:
“Here’s What I Remember,” Kwame Alexander
“La visita,” Margarita Engle
“Pick One,” Nick Bruel
“Gumbo Nation,” G. Neri
“Rez Road,” Joseph Bruchac
“What My Kinfolk Made,” Carole Boston Weatherford
Favorite Poems:
“Here’s What I Remember,” Kwame Alexander
“La visita,” Margarita Engle
“Pick One,” Nick Bruel
“Gumbo Nation,” G. Neri
“Rez Road,” Joseph Bruchac
“What My Kinfolk Made,” Carole Boston Weatherford
December 2, 2020
This is a collage of stories as poems! The lives of these people and the foundations they've built and lived on for their heritage. Hopkins, the author, says It [heritage] is our past, our today, and our foundation to build on for the future". Each and every single one of these poems represented a different heritage. It's enlightening, refreshing, and new. It's not all the time you see a book of poems dedicated to different heritages all around the world. These poems are real and raw, that's my favorite part about this book.
January 10, 2021
A series of poems by different authors. Each poem is paired with an illustration (by one of a set of illustrators).
The book represents a very diverse set of heritages -- Korean-American, Chinese-Belgian-American,
Native American of a couple of different tribes, Mexican, El Salvadoran, etc.
The stories themselves are about things past and present.
In addition, each author writes a bit about poetry and each illustrator talks a bit about illustration or art.
The book represents a very diverse set of heritages -- Korean-American, Chinese-Belgian-American,
Native American of a couple of different tribes, Mexican, El Salvadoran, etc.
The stories themselves are about things past and present.
In addition, each author writes a bit about poetry and each illustrator talks a bit about illustration or art.
January 13, 2021
I appreciated the variety of poetry and art here, representing a lot of different heritages and takes on heritage.
The notes about art and poetry from each artist and poet were nice, but a bit more repetitive.
There are glossary notes at the bottom of each page, though I wasn't entirely sure what qualified a word to be defined.
The notes about art and poetry from each artist and poet were nice, but a bit more repetitive.
There are glossary notes at the bottom of each page, though I wasn't entirely sure what qualified a word to be defined.
May 28, 2023
This book is written in different types of poems as it shows different types of heritage. From many different places, cultures, and background this book introduces it's readers to the stories and cultures of different people through the beautiful, unique illustrations and the poems created for each story of heritage.
May 7, 2021
A really great compilation of poems for American children about the experience of different cultures & heritages in America. It will bear re-reading over the years, as they get older and more able to understand the experiences chronicled in these poems. The art is really cool, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews