Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon

by Ruth Forman, Cbabi Bayoc (Illustrator)

Who needs a backyard when there are brownstone steps, double dutch, and freeze tag beneath the sizzling summer sun? The jingling bell of the ice cream truck mingles with laughter and sidewalk rhymes. Frosty lemonade from the corner store and tight cornrows beat the heat with style. There's nothing like summer in the city with friends, family, and a child's imagination for company.

Ruth Forman offers a poetic testament to childhood, language, and play, and Cbabi Bayoc's richly hued paintings bring the streets of South Philadelphia to vivid life.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Poetry

24 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Johnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful ode and glimpse into growing up with an urban lifestyle!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've really liked Ruth Forman's other books. This one didn't pull me in. I feel like it's too niche.

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this Children's literature book was going to be in my collection just by the title and illustrations. The front of the book drew me in because it reminded me of when I was younger just hanging with my friends and chasing after the ice cream truck. This book gives a glimpse inside African American community. From the playing of double-dutch and hide-n-seek outside, to the sitting in between your mom's legs so she can do your hair. It reminds me of my childhood in New Orleans with my trips to the "corne' sto'" and getting ice cream from the ice cream truck. This book seems like it was written by a young child based on the language, but that's how little black kids really talk. And the different hairstyles that the characters had were on point with representing the different braided styles we had as kids.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhythmic poem illustrating summer life in the city from a young girl's view. The initial lines, "we don have no backyard, frontyard neither", sets a tone of disparity but the next few pages is anything but needy as she relays all the things that make up her life. From double-dutch and freeze tag, red cream pop, black eyed peas and cool lemonade, it is quite clear that her hot Philly Summer leaves nothing much to be desired, even without that backyard. The soft, pencil illustrations by Cbabi Bayoc are filled with beautiful browns and warm oranges, and contain his usual style of detailed and exaggerated features. The text flows beautifully in spite of the fact that it is written in dialect, and would be a perfect addition to any picture book collection that highlights city life or summer in the city. Parents who lived in similar environments will love the nostalgia found in these pages. I surely did.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an illustrated version of Ruth Forman's amazing poem, "Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon." An adaptation for children, its lyrical and rhythmic style and vivid imagery narrates the childhood reality for many children living in urban America. I would never have imagined that this would be illustrated, or that the illustrations would do the poem justice, but both hold true. This is a great adaptation and honestly a great gift for children and their parents.

[Ariel]

I got to work on the publicity for this book at CBP!
Last I heard Cbabi Bayoc was working on this incredible mural project- he is painting murals of fathers and their children on abandoned buildings around St. Louis in an effort to bring images of fatherhood to the community and to promote fatherhood.

[Janet Squires]

This lovely, illustrated poem's setting is a summer in a South Philadelphia brownstone neighborhood where children celebrate the fun to be had even when you don't have a front or back yard.