My Hands Sing The Blues - Jeanne Walker Harvey, Elizabeth Zunon

My Hands Sing The Blues by Jeanne Walker Harvey illus. by Elizabeth Zunon
This is a beautiful portrayal of Romare Bearden's childhood journey. Showing many of Bearden's early influences from his birth state of North Carolina, his grandparents and trains. Harvey uses a lyrical bluesy text very fitting of Bearden's artistic style.

I'm like a singer calling out, then holding back
I'm like a trumpet player blowing loud, then dropping back
When I put a beat of color on an empty canvas
I never know what's coming down the track

As a young boy Bearden migrates from the south to the north. The story centers around this life changing move. I loved this biography, which is filled with heart and rhythm. Once I read the source notes and discovered that Harvey was influenced by several of Bearden's quotes it made this look at Bearden's childhood journey that much more authentic for me.

This is Elizabeth Zunon's first picture book. I am already a fan. The collage illustrations are a beautiful tribute to Bearden's style. Zunon manages to stay true to Bearden and incorporate much of her own style as well. I love her color palate. Check out some of Zunon's illustrations. The top six are from My Hands Sing the Blues.

Harvey and Zunon have come together to create a fabulous introduction to one of America's greatest artist. My Hands Sing the Blues will be released in September. Bearden was born on Sept 2, 1911. 2011 marks 100th year of his legacy.

Reading My Hands Sing the Blues made me want to revisit Bearden's work. Which I was able to do here a Centennial Tribute site in his honor.

I've linked this post to non fiction Monday. This weeks round up can be found at Capstone Connect

Salytypie - Tim Tingle, Karen Clarkson

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkess to Light by Tim Tingle illus. by Karen Clarkson

Tingle shares a family story that begins in 1915. When Tingle's father was almost two years old, the family moved Oklahoma to Pasadena Texas. One day someone threw a stone cutting the face of Tingle's grandmother.

"My father was two at the time. He ran to see his mother sitting on the floor, her hand covering her face. It looked like the peep-eye game to him. He crawled into her lap and saw shiny red liquid squishing from between her fingertips. It reminded him of sweet cherry pie filling, bubbling up from the criss cross crust of Mawmaw's pies. He reached to her face to get a taste of it, then touched his fingertip to his lips. "Saltypie!" he said, spitting as he said it. " Saltypie!"

That rock may have caused Tingle's grandmother to lose her sight. Though he didn't realize she was blind until he was six years old. In 1970 the family gathered at the hospital. Tingle's grandmother was having surgery to fix her eyesight.

I loved Tingle's straight forward approach. Many times I was moved by his beautiful words.

" A quiet but remarkable change occurred in the room. The light streaming through the window took on a copper glow, floating above the green waiting room carpet. It reminded me of the late afternoon sun in Mawmaw's backyard. The spirit of who we were as a Choctaw family was coming alive in the room. We could almost hear the cicada hum their night music in the Choctaw river bottoms of years ago. The stories continued, but there were fewer words now and much silent nodding. Many heads bowed to the moment."

Clarkson's illustrations bring Tingle's family to life. Saltypie is a very beautiful book, textually and visually. Tingle's afterword is just as good. With so few American Indian children's authors, its as important as the story.

In "How Much Can We Tell Them?" Talks about his family and touches upon many stereotypes American Indian's face and what people can do to stop them. An excerpt

I've linked this post to Non Fiction Monday. This week its being hosted by Mary Ann over at Great Kids Books.