PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : An American Story by Kwame Alexander art by Dare Coulter
REVIEW
Kwame Alexander and Dare Coulter have created a masterpiece with this book. I think Alexander's dedication says it best, "This is for the ones who want to speak the truth, the ones doing the hard and sacred work of nurturing young minds into beautiful human beings...the teachers." Told from the perspective of a teacher teaching a class of students, slavery and it's ramifications are presented to readers. One of the most powerful aspects of using poetry to tell such a tale is that every word is carefully chosen and specifically placed making meaning oh so deliberately. The interweaving of the past and present makes the book even more influential. As the teacher strives to help her students understand the horrors of slavery, her students help her understand the importance of speaking truth, no matter how difficult. The combination of Alexander's beautiful, descriptive words with Coulter's stunning illustrations. The incredible combination of art styles that Coulter uses come together in incredible ways. The use of sculpture as well as paint, charcoal, ink, and digital artwork makes the illustrations unique and all the more impressive. The difference styles also separate the past and the present references in the text. The author's and illustrator's notes at the end of the book give insight into the motives behind and techniques used in the book. This is a picture book intended for an older audience, that could be used at many different levels both for educational and personal use. A powerful reminder that as Alexander says in the text, "You can't change the past, but you can do better in the future."
This book is likely to be an award winner in the future. Sadly, it's also likely to face objections from those who would rather not be reminded of the painful parts of American history, especially when remnants of that past are still with us. That in fact is exactly what makes this book so very important to read and share.
Comments
Post a Comment