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necessaryfictions's reviews
184 reviews
On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison by Jerdine Nolen, James Ransome
her story words were so mighty, mighty enough to lift that old blanket of oppression and pull against each thread until the blanket just unraveled. that girl held the mirror of light and understanding in her hands, shining it, reflecting it onto the people of the world.
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes
i like when the cadence of this book got extra Black. and i love that this kid is a trumpet player- he looks it!
The Negro Speaks of Rivers by E.B. Lewis, Langston Hughes
emotional
4.75
what masterful pairing of illustration to poetry. every page makes me want to stop and take it in. the tenderness, the pain, the relief, the reflections of Black skin in the water. thank you langston hughes always!
Woodpecker Girl by I-Tsun Chinag, Chingyen Liu
emotional
hopeful
i hear people sing. if i could sing, would it be beautiful?
this really moved me. i love that the real yipei's illustrations were the heart of the visual language of this book. the use of scale and distance to show the loneliness of a world that fails to include you, and the the freedom of finding your perfect way to express yourself. poignantly and compassionately written. the notes in the backmatter are lovely, a woodpecker on every spread :")
this really moved me. i love that the real yipei's illustrations were the heart of the visual language of this book. the use of scale and distance to show the loneliness of a world that fails to include you, and the the freedom of finding your perfect way to express yourself. poignantly and compassionately written. the notes in the backmatter are lovely, a woodpecker on every spread :")
Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
lovely meter and vibrant illustrations. i enjoy how much the visuals tell the details of the story while the words keep it simpler and still very clearly relay the deep cruelty of slavery and violent displacement and the longing for a home without fear or oppression.
you brought me here
to build a house
build a house
build a house
you brought me here
to build a house
and i will not be moved.
you brought me here
to build a house
build a house
build a house
you brought me here
to build a house
and i will not be moved.
Dream Street by Ekua Holmes, Tricia Elam Walker
narratively felt a bit fragmented, but very sweet snapshots of this community black folks and their varied dreams. and has pleasing collage-y paint illustrations. let's all live on dream street!
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
4.5
I can fly- yes, fly. Me, Cassie Louise Lightfoot, only eight years old and in the third grade, and I can fly. That means I am free to go wherever I want for the rest of my life.
gah the potent longing to have the comfort of financial stability for your family from the young mind... the tone is really well done. i adore the style of the illustrations, and the final quilt spread.
gah the potent longing to have the comfort of financial stability for your family from the young mind... the tone is really well done. i adore the style of the illustrations, and the final quilt spread.
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson
4.75
and that is why the people say,
we were born on the water
we come from the people who refused to die
an in-in verse and unflinching look at slavery and the violence it did and continues to do to black families. haunting and gorgeously painted. not the biggest fan of the ending note with the main child drawing the american flag, but otherwise i liked this a lot. valuable book
ours is no immigration story.
we were born on the water
we come from the people who refused to die
an in-in verse and unflinching look at slavery and the violence it did and continues to do to black families. haunting and gorgeously painted. not the biggest fan of the ending note with the main child drawing the american flag, but otherwise i liked this a lot. valuable book
ours is no immigration story.
Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers? by Junauda Petrus
4.5
no fr can we please do this
wistfully and powerfully written. i enjoy how much they say about what the police don't do, through saying what the grandmothers will do. the spread of portraits mural made me weepy- rest in power sweet souls
wistfully and powerfully written. i enjoy how much they say about what the police don't do, through saying what the grandmothers will do. the spread of portraits mural made me weepy- rest in power sweet souls
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson
simple text, poignant, haunting and joyous. the gathering on the beach, the smell of honeysuckle.. all different now.... <3