Grade 4-7-Through rhymed verse, Altman and Lechner present the history of African Americans from the early slaves who followed the North Star to freedom, to youngsters today. Most of the poems are vignettes about individuals such as Crispus Attucks, Benjamin Banneker, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Matthew Henson, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Lorraine Hansberry, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr. Groups such as the Buffalo Soldiers, the Little Rock Nine, and participants in the sit-ins of the civil rights movement also receive attention. Utilizing the style and rhythms of rap, the authors generally succeed in conveying both information and emotion. As with any collection of this type, however, some of the selections are better than others. Read all at once, they tend to be monotonous. Used in classroom units, though, the poems can serve as the starting point for a number of activities. Wooden's fine-quality watercolor portraits are attractive and appropriately dramatic. Though the focus is on African-American achievements and pride, this book should be universally enjoyed. It is a fine complement to Altman's Extraordinary Black Americans from Colonial to Contemporary Times (Childrens, 1989).
Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Siena College Library, Loudonville, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Did you find this review helpful?