Wednesday, November 25, 2020

I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins


Poets and artists explore their heritage one poem and illustration at a time. 

The Poets: Kwame Alexander, Jorge Tetl Argueta, Joseph Bruchac, Nick Bruel, Margarita Engle, Douglas Florian, Guadalupe García McCall, Marilyn Nelson, G. Neri, Naomi Shihab Nye, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Carole Boston Weatherford, Janet S. Wong, Jane Yolen 

The Artists: Paula Barragán, Sawsan Chalabi, R. Gregory Christie, Julie Downing, David Kanietakeron Fadden, Insoo Kim, Rafael López, Janine Macbeth, Juliet Menéndez, Daniel Minter, Sean Qualls, Charlotte Riley-Webb, Jeanne Rorex Bridges, Simone Shin, Neil Waldman, Michele Wood 

Thoughts: This is a powerful collection filled with diverse heritage and thoughts. I love that each poet and artist is given the opportunity to say what poetry or art means to them individually. I can see this collection as a conversation starter for children to talk about their own heritages or to ask the adults in their family to share stories. Heritage and family history have always been important to me so I admire what Lee Bennett Hopkins has accomplished in putting this collection together. Reading I Remember has exposed me to other cultures and made me curious to know more. I'm glad the collection included definitions of words readers might not be familiar with and I thoroughly enjoyed the "About the Poets and Artists" section at the end of the book. My favorite poems are "Pick One" by Nick Bruel, "Gumbo Nation" by G. Neri, and "What My Kinfolk Made" by Carole Boston Weatherford. My favorite illustrations are "Mother's Day" (Simone Shin), "Far, Far Away" (Sawson Chalabi) and "What My Kinfolk Made" (Daniel Minter). I can see myself using this collection with older elementary students and homeschoolers to explore the concepts of heritage and family history (genealogy). 

(Lee and Low Books Inc., 2019.)

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