Tar Beach (1991)

This story does an impressive job at introducing adult themes to children through the voice of a child. The protagonist in this story uses her imagination to "own" everything she sees. In actuality her family struggles with money and it is mentioned in the story that her father cannot join the union to get a better job because of his ethinicity. While the children who are reading this story might not know what the union is and the impact that it can make, they would still understand that being denied something because of the color of one's skin is wrong and they would understand that it is something the family is struggling with.

Impressive pictures and a few lines tell the story of a little girl who believes so firmly in being able to fly that she is already able to see the city from above. Children's dreams could become true if one believes strong enough. A lovely book to encourage children to believe in their dreams. ( )

The illustrations of the book are great. The pictures are painted in a careful way. For example, the lights of the bridge seem very bright, although they are in white and only a few of them in yellow. The illustrator uses many points (stars, points on the dress etc.). Moreover, quilts are implemented in the illustrations, which make the book even more colorful. ( )

Cassie Louise Lightfoot is an eight year old African American girl who lives with her family in New York. She calls the rooftop of the apartment complex in which they live "Tar Beach". There they often spend hot summer nights and Cassie always dreams about flying over all the buildings, especially she loves to fly over the George Washington Bridge. In her dreams she also imagines that her father finds a job and that he'll be rich. "Tar Beach" is a really good story for seeing into the mind and heart of a little girl growing up in a lower class family. The illustrations are fascinating as well. ( )

This classic depicts a young girl, who "flies" over New York while her family is having a dinner party. It ties in historical events and societal issues into a beautifully constructed children's book. ( )