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A review by ragesandpages
Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks
3.0
Kirkus: "They show a Bronzeville that bustles with activity, single-family homes sharing the streets with apartment buildings and the occasional vacant lot. The children run, braids and arms out straight, and contemplate in turns, their exuberance tempered by the solemnity of childhood. While it’s regrettable that occasionally the specificity of the illustration robs a verse of its universality—the “special place” referenced in “Keziah” is shown to be underneath the kitchen table, for instance—the overall ebullience of the images more than compensates."
This book contains poetry that Gwen Brooks wrote in 1956; in this collection, the illustrator added her illustrations to the poems for children. Now, whether these poems were meant for children, I'm not sure. But the feature is that each poem corresponds to different boys and girls in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
The poetry is general is great. In the context of the book, it makes you feel like you know boys and girls of the neighborhood -- and they are all going around and doing everyday things. It corresponds directly to the African American child experience during the 50s & 60s in this neighborhood. However, because it is poetry, it would be meant for an older audience who could understand it better. Also, the collection is not relatable now, but could be used for historical context. I'm curious about the poem "Narcissa" - maybe she's a special needs child? Or perhaps just a shy girl? It's not quite clear, but the reader understands that there are a variety of children that live in Bronzeville.
The illustrations are outlined in marker, then colored in with pencil and marker; it makes it seem like an older child put the illustrations together. But with the bright colors and the illustrations being stylized, it makes the whole thing work.
This book contains poetry that Gwen Brooks wrote in 1956; in this collection, the illustrator added her illustrations to the poems for children. Now, whether these poems were meant for children, I'm not sure. But the feature is that each poem corresponds to different boys and girls in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
The poetry is general is great. In the context of the book, it makes you feel like you know boys and girls of the neighborhood -- and they are all going around and doing everyday things. It corresponds directly to the African American child experience during the 50s & 60s in this neighborhood. However, because it is poetry, it would be meant for an older audience who could understand it better. Also, the collection is not relatable now, but could be used for historical context. I'm curious about the poem "Narcissa" - maybe she's a special needs child? Or perhaps just a shy girl? It's not quite clear, but the reader understands that there are a variety of children that live in Bronzeville.
The illustrations are outlined in marker, then colored in with pencil and marker; it makes it seem like an older child put the illustrations together. But with the bright colors and the illustrations being stylized, it makes the whole thing work.