This 33 word poem by Langston Hughes is brilliantly illustrated with the photographs of Charles R. Smith, Jr. He chose to take two or three words of each poem and bring them to life with a human face. As the pages turn the faces reflect many different shades of blackness. The poem was written to celebrate black men and women in the 1920's. The photographs Charles R. Smith chose reflect that as with any group of people, black people come in many "shapes, sizes, shades and ages." Each face speaks to us and mirrors the goodness and the integrity and the hope that we wish for our children. Each face is unique. This book is the Coretta Scott King Illustrator winner for 2009.
My interview with Charles R. Smith Jr. is available on Books Alive on the menu bar on the abookandahug.com homepage.
