PICTURE BOOK REVIEW & VIDEO PERFORMANCE: You So Black by Theresa The S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. & London Ladd

YOU SO BLACK

written by Theresa The S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D., illustrated by London Ladd

Denene Miller Book/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023

ISBN: 9781665900348

Source: publisher for review (Thanks!)

Ages 4 and up

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com.

Video and images provided by the publisher: Simon & Schuster.

REVIEW

"You so Black, when you smile, the stars come out.

You so Black, when you're born, the god come out."

Theresa The S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. begins her poem highlighting the remarkable nature of being black.  Adapted from a spoken word poem of the same name, Theresa The S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. shares with readers the wonders and challenges of blackness.  The use of various font sizes emphasizes certain words making this a poem/book made for reciting out loud.  The illustrator takes the beautiful text and hits it out of the park with stunning mixed media collage art. Families, children, leaders, and followers, are all portrayed with great skill.  The words and illustrations are inspiring and affirming highlighting individuals who've helped change the world such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack and Michelle Obama, and Simone Biles.  The book focuses mainly on children learning to cherish their heritage and identity.   A wonderful addition to a growing body of work honoring and celebrating black life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR

THERESA THA S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. (she/her/hers) is a Grammy-nominated musical, lyrical and theatrical alchemist, sprinkling magiclike hot sauce. She is best known for her appearance on the 2019Trumpet Awards on Bounce TV, and the now viral recitation of “You So Black,” which has garnered 11 million views and counting. She has gone on to perform with the likes of Jill Scott, MC Lyte, and Jazmine Sullivan, and appears on famed pianist Robert Glasper’s newest album. Theresa is from the south suburbs of Chicago but calls Atlanta home. She holds a degree in commercial music from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.

LONDON LADD (he/him/his) is a graduate of Syracuse University with an MFA in illustration. He uses a unique mixed media approach, combining cut paper textured with acrylic paint, tissue paper and colored pencil to bring his diverse subjects to life. London’s artwork is steeped in intensity and emotion, a reflection of the artist himself. His hope is that You So Black will be passed down through generations, reaffirming African Americans’ strength, beauty, power and love. His goal is to open a visual arts community center where lower-income families can create their own art. He is also the illustrator of My Red, White, and Blue, Black Gold, Under the Freedom Tree, American Anthem, Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving, Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass, Midnight Teacher, Waiting for Pumpsie, Oprah: The Little Speaker, and March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World. His portrait “Breonna Taylor, Remember Her Name!” was published in Recognize! An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life. London lives in Syracuse, New York.

SAMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS

VIDEO