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40 pp.
| Lee
| March, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-60060-410-2$18.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
Florence Mills was born an entertainer. This brightly illustrated, inspiring story follows "Baby Flo" from her days of singing in the streets of Washington, DC, to her on-stage debut at age seven. An author's note includes a brief biography of her years as an entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance and her early death from tuberculosis at age thirty-one.
32 pp.
| Dial
| October, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8037-3577-4$17.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
Grace is excited for Christmas, "her favorite day of the year." It's usually just her, her mom, and her grandmother celebrating together, but this year they're hosting friends of the family. Grace helps a girl (who's her age) overcome sadness and homesickness by participating in the Nativity play. As usual, Grace's warmth and creativity shine, all reflected in the accompanying illustrations.
32 pp.
| Dial
| January, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8037-3260-5$16.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
When Grace (Amazing Grace) hears that two girls from her class will ride as princesses on a parade float, she pores over her fairy-tale books. However, Grace's teacher offers the class a wider view of princesses. The paintings depict Grace with vibrant energy, looking royal in her African dress. An author's note gives further information on the princesses in the text.
40 pp.
| Boyds/Calkins
| November, 2006
|
TradeISBN 1-59078-282-8$17.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
This thorough and authoritative (although occasionally dry) book attempts to reconstruct the story of York, who, born a slave to the Clark family, accompanied Lewis and Clark's expedition. The dark-hued colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations capture the story's tone, but some pieces look static and unfinished. An author's note includes sources and more information. Ind.
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
Highlighting a moment in an individual's career, each double-page spread serves as a sketch (though brief and often vague) of a Jewish American (both familiar and unfamiliar people are included). Three of the thirteen Jews featured are astronaut Judith Resnick, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and director Steven Spielberg. Vibrant watercolors accompany the text. Reading list, websites. Bib.
32 pp.
| Star Bright
| January, 2003
|
TradeISBN 1-887734-85-6$$15.95
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Ying-hwa Hu
&
Cornelius Van Wright.
"May you hear salsa / and start to dance" intones this singable wish (music provided) to young Alicia, who spends her birthday walking through her Latino neighborhood and enjoying the good wishes of her community. This look at a birthday celebration through another culture's lens is welcome and the urban details well chosen, but the illustrations fail to give the grinning characters dimension.
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
Single-page vignettes describe sixteen important Native Americans including Jim Thorpe, Maria Tallchief, Squanto, and Molly Brant, by "re-creat[ing] one moment in [that] person's life." The brief text provides a sense of the diversity of accomplishments but is rather superficial. Each biographical sketch is illustrated with a handsome watercolor portrait. Bib.
32 pp.
| Troll
| March, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-8167-7009-3$$15.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
The athletic feats of Josh Gibson, a star in baseball's Negro League, are narrated from the fictional perspective of a grandfather who remembers attending many of Gibson's games. The conclusion focuses on one especially dramatic game, played at New York's Yankee Stadium. Gibson's remarkable talent is revealed through well-matched text and illustrations, which together tell a lively tale that reads like fiction.
32 pp.
| Cavendish
| September, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-7614-5065-3$$15.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
His relatives have all come to celebrate the harvest, but Jack Henry is too preoccupied to join in the dancing: he's seen a large snake in the barn where he will be sleeping that night, and he's afraid. Stroud's text adeptly fleshes out the conflicting emotions of the main character while providing ample excitement and a fitting conclusion. Warm autumn light permeates the dramatic double-page watercolors.
32 pp.
| Whitman
| October, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-8075-7521-6$$15.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
Avi, a young Jew living in Jerusalem, follows a stray cat he's befriended only to discover that Hamudi, an Arab boy, is caring for the animal in the Muslim quarter. The watercolor paintings that accompany this familiar, somewhat didactic tale realistically depict the ancient city and successfully extend the story's hopeful mood. An author's note is appended. Glos.
32 pp.
| Dial
| March, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-8037-1557-9$$15.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
When her little brother, J. T., gets all the attention, Phyllis Mae starts to resent him. Her concerned mother and grandmother prepare a special Daughter's Day celebration just for her, but pesky J. T. almost succeeds in ruining it. This satisfying family story illustrated with engaging, realistic watercolor and pencil artwork depicts a contemporary African-American household with two lively children.
32 pp.
| Morrow
| April, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-688-16241-X$$15.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-688-16242-8$$15.89
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
Jenna, who lives in a suburban Oklahoma neighborhood, is of Muscogee and Ojibway descent. She borrows jingles--metal cones--from four important women in her life, so that her jingle dress will have its own voice for her first powwow dance. Dance regalia and modern-day life are ably depicted in fluid watercolors. The text's folkloric style is sometimes at odds with the contemporary story. Glos.
32 pp.
| Whitman
| March, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-8075-5039-6$$15.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
&
Ying-Hwa Hu.
This understated story describes how a little girl in contemporary urban China spends a typical morning with her grandfather: they eat breakfast, go for a bike ride to the park, then return home again. The lack of conflict makes the book less than engaging, but Mei-Mei's delight in the daily rhythm of her life shines through. The watercolor and pencil illustrations radiate a restrained exuberance that reflects Mei-Mei's own.
(3)
K-3
Family stories of triumph and struggle (escape from slavery, fighting in the Civil War, and more) make Lea Mae's summer vacations at her great-grandparents' home treasured memories. The text conveys the importance of both the extended family and the oral tradition in the lives of African Americans. Realistic watercolor illustrations complement the story.