Recommended grades 2-5. In 1956, Gwendolyn Brooks created a collection of poetry about kids in the neighborhood she grew up in, Bronzeville, in Chicago's Southside. Each poem is dedicated to a kid in the neighborhood. The characters exist in the particulars of the Bronzeville community while still being universal. Harlem native Faith Ringgold has decided to breathe new life to Brooks poems in this newly illustrated edition of the original collection. Ringgold captures the unique architecture of Bronzeville, with its sprawling Victorian houses and busy sidewalks. The painted characters are flat on the page, almost child-like. With this collection, Ringgold hopes to show that Bronzeville is both unique and universal, just as Brooks' poetry captured. Brooks touching, rhyming poetry will be an excellent edition to a poetry collection, and can be a great conversation starter.
Recommended, ***.
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