(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. In 1964 two young friends--one white, one black--find the town pool being filled with tar to avoid enforced integration. Their disappointment is palpable--and galvanizing. John Henry decides to enter a previously forbidden store, and the friends join arms and go in together. The text, though concise, is full of nuance, and the oil paintings shimmer with the heat of the South in summer. This edition includes a new foreword by Wiles.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(3) 4-6 Poetry for Young People series. Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. After a four-page introduction about Angelou's life and work, twenty-five of her poems are presented, each with a few explanatory sentences preceding them. Some selections are heavy, resonating with the penetrating philosophical stance from which Angelou views the world; others show a lighter side of the world-renowned wordsmith. Dark abstract paintings create mood and atmosphere. Ind.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. During the late nineteenth century, African American Isaac Murphy became one of the best jockeys in America. This straightforward text supplies basic facts about the era but comes alive when describing actual races. Unfortunately, the illustrations are as muddy as the tracks on which Murphy rode. Timeline.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. This account of the 1960 sit-ins at the segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, is told from the perspective of eight-year-old observer Connie. The text--full of detail and lively dialogue--moves along smartly and holds true to Connie's experience without sacrificing content or veracity. Somber, impressionistic oils lend the story dignity and weight.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. This poignant story of an African-American family's decision to move North in quest of a better life is told from young Jessie's perspective, in rhythmic, image-filled prose. Subdued illustrations capture the varying moods of the narration, whose credible plot and poetic language invite reading aloud. An author's note provides historical background for the autobiographical story.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. A young boy spends a summer in Harlem with his aunt and his uncle, the artist Romare Bearden. For the most part, Hartfield's text is successful at smoothly incorporating into the story information about the artist. Lagarrigue's acrylic and collage illustrations pay homage to Bearden's work. Appended are a brief biography of Bearden and instructions on how to create collages.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. In 1964, two young friends--one white, one black--find the town pool being filled with tar to avoid enforced integration. Their disappointment is palpable--and galvanizing. John Henry decides to enter a previously forbidden store, and the friends join arms and go in together. The text, though concise, is full of nuance, and the oil paintings shimmer with the heat of the South in summer.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue. In fourteen poems, an African-American boy talks about his friend Blue--a man his mother grew up with, who has decided to take young fatherless Damon under his wing. The poems are accessible and filled with imagery, and the intergenerational friendship is believable, though Damon sometimes sounds older than he is. The unsentimental acrylic paintings aptly reflect the poems.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander