Toyomi Igus

Possibly the coolest little free library find I've come across!

There are so many layers to this book: Michele Wood's beautiful paintings, which she created after conducting interviews and while listening to the music of each era; Toyomi Igus's ekphrastic poems inspired by those paintings, which describe the emotional origins and intents of each style and sprinkle in the names of major contributors; summaries of each type of music that occasionally point out features in the paintings and show more cite any lyrics quoted in the poems so that a reader could go look up the songs; timelines running across each page highlighting key moments in African American history and music, not giving up the former to focus comfortably (for a white audience) on the latter; and an interactive element in Wood's hidden self-portrait on every page.

It sounds like a lot, but the page layout is never overwhelming: pictures take up one full page, while the text of the poetry on the opposite page is large enough to clearly show that it's the main feature. The text is laid out in a variety of font types and sizes, even directions, but all are clear and easy to read and follow from one line to the text. The summaries are tucked up top just across the gutter from the paintings, while the timeline runs along the bottom of the page, both in small but clear font that doesn't distract from the poetry.

Beautiful, informative, fun to read...is there anything this book isn't? And kids could grow into it, focusing on the poetry and pictures until they're old enough to be interested in the timelines. show less

Great images that make the text come to life.

I liked this book for two reasons. First, the illustrations are very enhancing. The artistic style is appealing to the audience due to the vivid colors and the blending of colors. The author uses colors such as red and orange but then used lighter colors to make them pop. Second, the book pushes readers to think about tough issues. Readers are more focused on family and the love family members share; however, in a child's perspective, readers are pushed to think about differences within a show more multicultural and multiracial family. The main message of this story is that each family member is different than the other, but that shouldn't stop them from loving each other. show less

This book tells the history of African American music alongside African American history through paintings, a historical timeline, and poems. It's a powerful informational text that shows the hope found in making music even in the midst of suffering.Wood