Module 3/Newberry/Printz/Coretta Scott King/Pura Belpre Winners/June 16-June 22

The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas

Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Thomas, J.C. (2008).  The blacker the berry.  New York:  HarperCollins Publishers.

Summary

This is a compilation of poems about different types of African American skin color.  It is a beautiful book, both in its writing as well as its illustrations.  All of the illustrations are of very happy and content children, either laughing or reading or doing something they love.  The poems written are positive, encouraging children to be proud of who they are and what they look like.  Each color is compared to a type of berry (such as a raspberry or blackberry) and has an illustration of the child and a poem about that color.  

My Impression

To me, this book was breathtaking and eyeopening.  The illustrations are beautiful and I love that they show such happy children.  The poems are honest and uplifting.  I love the overall tone of the book.  She consistently preaches in a different way to be proud of what you look like.  Children can relate to this book, whether they are African American or not.  It teaches about the beauty of different skin colors and to truly embrace who you are. 

Reviews and Awards

"“What shade is human?” Thomas’s evocative, colorful poetry seeks to answer that question with this celebration of the diversity of African-American children across the spectrum. From “Raspberry Black” to “Golden Goodness,” Cooper’s soft and realistic illustrations almost leap from the page, incorporating natural images from the text in their depiction of a gallery of beautiful, self-confident children. Difficult intraracial social issues related to skin color are handled with truth and respect. For instance, in the poem “Snowberries,” a fair-skinned child speaks back to those who would question her identity: “The words cut deep down / Beyond the bone / Beneath my snowy skin / Deep down where no one can see / I bleed the ‘one drop of blood’ / That makes Black me.” On the page opposite, an auburn-haired girl smiles at the reader, eyes twinkling. An essential picture book that helps young children understand and appreciate differences in skin color. As the epigraph states so truthfully, “Colors, without black, / couldn’t sparkle quite so bright.”"

(2010, May 20).  [Review of the book The blacker the berry].  Kirkus Reviews.  Retrieved from 

     https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joyce-carol-thomas/the-blacker-the-berry/.

2009 Coretta Scott King Award

Suggestions for Use

*Have an art station set up and have children draw and color pictures that represent what they believe is beautiful and unique about them