Week 3: My People

Book cover image:

Book Summary:

This book’s base is a poem by Langston Hughes. Charles Smith has added photographs along with Hughes’ poem to create this new product. Smith has photographed various black people to help illustrate Hughes’ poetry. He uses photos of old, young, females, males and highlights emotions and beauty of his subjects. This new translation earned a Coretta Scott King award for outstanding illustrations by an African American. Even though all ages can enjoy this book, it would be best used with preschool and elementary aged children though the 3^rd grade.

APA Reference:

Hughes, L. (2009). My people. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

My impressions:

I really like this new translation. The poem itself is lovely. However, with the addition of the photographs, it becomes an even more powerful piece. Smith has really captured the emotion and beauty inside each of these people. It seems like you can really see inside of their souls. The children show joy and excitement in their faces. The adults show experience and wonder of what might be. Charles R. Smith, Jr. has intentionally kept the backgrounds dark and has not overly exposed their faces to light. I love that he did this. It really highlights their beautiful, brown skin. They seem proud to be brothers and sisters, just like Hughes wrote. It is a very short poem but with the photographs added, it allows more opportunities to reflect and appreciate this culture. I can see why it earned the Coretta Scott King award.

Professional Review:

“PreS-Gr. 3. Some 86 years after its original publication, Langston Hughes’ poem “My People” finds celebratory interpretation in Charles R. Smith Jr.’s elegant sepia photography. Echoing the graceful simplicity of Hughes’ verses, Smith’s pictures capture African American faces of every size, shape, age, and hue, their countenances shining out from fields of glossy black. The expressions are as varied and captivating as the subjects, from crying babies to radiant children and adults. The pages outnumber the words, 40 to 33, allowing the text, printed in gold, to sweep across the darkness with the titular refrain. In an endnote, Smith shares the questions he asked himself as he began his photographic interpretation, noting Hughes’ intent “to celebrate the pride he had for his black brothers and sisters.” In the aspects that he has captured, and their artful arrangement across the page, he does just that.”

Reference:

Barthelmess, T. (2009, February 1). [Review of the book My people, by L. Hughes].

            Booklist, 105(11), 56. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Library Uses:

Focus ages: grades preschool-3

This book could be used during Black History Month. The librarian could read it and show the pictures then they could do some extension activities. They could write a short poem detailing what they are proud of about themselves. When finished, they could discuss the book and their poems and how they are similar and different. The classroom teacher could also help in assisting them with their poems.