Product Description

The wonder of Christmas never ceases. Each year the holiday comes and its story seems fresh and new. The ways of telling about the very first Christmas are as many and as varied as the stars in the sky. And so it was for Langston Hughes, who recounted those long-ago events in six different ways -- in live poems he wrote and in one he translated from the Spanish.

In this memorable book, these six poems are simply and movingly illustrated by Ashley Bryan. That Christmas is for everyone -- young and old, black and white, rich and poor -- has never been more clearly shown. Though African American children -- and adults -- will find the book a special one for them, everyone who takes time to enjoy the book will come away with a new understanding of the holiday.

Ashley Bryan has long been known for his interest in and illustration of African American spirituals and poetry. Here he puts his gifts of illustration to work in a way that seems to reflect his dedication to both.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #507866 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Amazon.com Review
Award-winning illustrator Ashley Bryan noticed that Langston Hughes had written five short children's poems about Christmas--and had translated a sixth "from a Puerto Rican Christmas card." Here Bryan collects and illustrates all six in a beautiful book that will bring out the meaning of the season for African American and other children alike. Bryan has a superb--and characteristically African--color sense, using a saturated palette of ochre, chocolate, russet, and yellow-orange, with a counterpoint of bright blues and greens. The pictures of parents, children, and kneeling Magi are an appropriately vivid, joyful evocation of Hughes's simple cadences: "Three Wise Men / One dark like me / Part of His / Nativity." "They did not travel in an airplane / They did not travel by car / They did not travel on a streamline train / They traveled on foot from afar / They traveled on foot from afar." (Ages 3 to 7) --Richard Farr

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3?In this lovely book, Bryan has illustrated Langston Hughes's "Carol of the Brown King," "Shepherd's Song at Christmas," "On a Christmas Night," "On a Pallet of Straw," and "The Christmas Story"?plus a translation of a verse from a Puerto Rican Christmas card. The poems are simple and direct, celebrating the first Christmas and the place it holds in lives and hearts today. "Carol of the Brown King" ends with the words, "Three Wise Men,/ One dark like me?/Part of His/Nativity." The paintings, rendered in tempera and gouache, are luminous and bright, and add tremendous appeal to the poems. They also extend the intent of the verses to portray Christmas as having meaning for all people, no matter what their race; the Holy Family is depicted as black, as is a young shepherd who comes to offer gifts to Baby Jesus. In one particularly moving painting, the Baby is sleeping on his mother's back, wrapped in a shawl, while Mary looks over her shoulder at readers, cowrie shells in her braided hair. Even very young children will enjoy the short poems and colorful illustrations, and beginning readers will have no problem reading the selections themselves. A gift to enhance any Christmas collection.?EM
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. This colorful volume presents six short Christmas poems, five written by Langston Hughes and the sixth "translated from a Puerto Rican Christmas card." Hughes focuses on the first Christmas, with verses such as this one from the title poem: "Of the three Wise Men / Who came to the King, / One was a brown man, / so they sing." Indeed, in Bryan's joyful, reverent paintings, nearly every character is brown, from the holy family to the shepherd boy to the modern man and woman reading Christmas stories to their attentive grandchildren. Glowing with bright hues and lively patterns, the large tempera-and-gouache paintings light up every page. A good choice for the many African American children who would like to see their images reflected in the characters of "the greatest story ever told." Carolyn Phelan

Customer Reviews

Excellent introduction to poetry of Hughes
This book features poetry of Hughes for children. The poetry carefully uses language geared for children, uses repetition more than images. This results in text that conveys to children as much the careful, artful use of language as "fine poetry". The illustrations by Bryan are a superb counterpoint to the text - again geared intentional towards children - but showing excellent use of color and a realism appealing to adults.

This book succeeds in being truly for children without being sacchrine or insulting. Don't think of this as an "ethnic" book, it is far too good to be marginalized.

Poetically and spiritually moving;a must for any library
This book not only captures the beauty of Langston Hughes for young readers but also portrays the beauty of African Heritage within the powerful meaning of the story of Christ's birth. I ended up buying two copies on my first round because it was such a wonderful piece of work for both chidren and adults!