Hey Black Child

by Useni Eugene Perkins (Author) Bryan Collier (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Six-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier brings this classic, inspirational poem to life, written by poet Useni Eugene Perkins. Hey black child, Do you know who you are? Who really are?Do you know you can be What you want to be If you try to be What you can be? This lyrical, empowering poem celebrates black children and seeks to inspire all young people to dream big and achieve their goals.
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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Starred Review

All black children need to know Perkins’ prideful poem, possibly by heart, because it’s really that doggone good.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

PreS-Gr 3--Collier's characteristic watercolor-and-collage masterpieces bring joy and gravity to Perkins's inspirational poem. With a compelling rhythm that begs for recitation, the verse (often misattributed to Countee Cullen) celebrates the power and potential of black children. The illustrations pair young black faces with visions of their successful futures as astronauts, artists, politicians, and more and feature some of the artist's favorite motifs, including soaring balloons and rays of light. The visuals also contribute historical heft to the lyrical affirmation, layering images from African civilizations, the civil rights movement, and Black Lives Matter into the spreads, connecting the book's triumphs to African Americans' roots and ongoing struggles against racism and oppression. The poem closes with a reminder of the importance of the contributions of black children and the adults they grow up to be: "Be what you can be/Learn what you must learn/Do what you can do/And tomorrow your nation/Will be what you want it to be." Author and illustrator notes ensure that dedicated readers can appreciate all the fine details in the text and visuals. VERDICT A rousing celebration and call to action, this book is a great choice for every library.--Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Perkins's 1975 poem, originally written as song lyrics (and sometimes misattributed to Countee Cullen or Maya Angelou), features compact, rhythmic language that's both avuncular and commandingly rhetorical ("Hey Black Child/ Do you know who you are/ Who you really are"). Collier (City Shapes) uses a combination of dense, burnished watercolors--the texture often mimics acrylics--and photo collage to imagine the possibilities open to empowered African-American children. Each stanza begins with a close, almost photorealistic portrait of a confident, happy child; subsequent pages show how the child's passion, coupled with a proud sense of heritage, leads him or her to become someone who helps make "your nation/ what you want it to be." A girl with eager, bespectacled eyes and a bright smile stands beside a telescope and knows she can become an astronaut; a boy inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement sees a future in politics. Perkins's poem has always made for a stirring recitation; new and old fans will find that Collier's images do full justice to it. Ages 4-8. Illustrator's agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Nov.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for Hey Black Child
A School Library Journal Top 20 Books of the Year Pick

* "This book dazzles in every way and is bound to inspire so many more viral videos of black children speaking their abundant futures into existence. All black children need to know Perkins' prideful poem, possibly by heart, because it's really that doggone good."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Useni Eugene Perkins
Useni Eugene Perkins is a distinguished poet, playwright, and youth worker. He is the author of Harvesting New Generations: The Positive Development of Black Youth; Home is a Dirty Street: The Social Oppression of Black Children; and Black Fairy and Other Plays. He currently lives in Chicago.

Bryan Collier has illustrated more than twenty-five picture books, including the award-winning Trombone Shorty, Dave the Potter, and Knock Knock: My Father's Dream for Me, as well as City Shapes, and Fifty Cents and a Dream, and has received four Caldecott Honors and six Coretta Scott King Awards. He lives with his wife and children in Marlboro, New York.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780316360302
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
November 14, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF018010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JNF042000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Poetry | General
JNF053160 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
Library of Congress categories
African American children

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