My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Beautiful Blackbird
by
Ashley Bryan
<CENTER>Black is beautiful, uh-huh!
Long ago, Blackbird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds, who were colored red, yellow, blue, and green, were so envious that they begged Blackbird to paint their feathers with a touch of black so they could be beautiful too. Although Black-bird warns them that true beauty comes from within, the other bir
...moreAudio, 0 pages
Published
January 28th 2010
by Audio Bookshelf
(first published January 1st 2003)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
162)
Publisher:Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Year: 2003
Reading Level: Grades 2-7
Summary: This picture book has cut paper illustrations that tell a tale of birds of all colors that wish to be black like the blackbird. The language of the text has a rhythm that can come across with a rehearsed read aloud. The end of the text has the blackbird painting marks on each of the birds.
This book has an explicit message of the beauty of being black. With the end of the book stoppin...more
Year: 2003
Reading Level: Grades 2-7
Summary: This picture book has cut paper illustrations that tell a tale of birds of all colors that wish to be black like the blackbird. The language of the text has a rhythm that can come across with a rehearsed read aloud. The end of the text has the blackbird painting marks on each of the birds.
This book has an explicit message of the beauty of being black. With the end of the book stoppin...more
I listened to Ashley Bryan's Beautiful Blackbird on my ipod and didn't really like it very much. Even though Ashley Bryan narrated it, I couldn't concentrate on words because I was so distracted by the way he was reading it. I decided to check the book out instead, and I am really glad I did. The paper cut-out illustrations add a lot to the story with their bright colors and their unique shapes. Also, I was able to read it at my own speed which allowed me to see that their is a lot of rhythm a...more
view 1 comment
Summary: This book is said to be an “adaptation of a tale from the… people of Zambia.” It is written in a way that it seems like a poem. At the beginning of the story, all of the birds want to have black on them like blackbird because they think it looks so beautiful. Throughout the story blackbird paints black on each of the other birds. At the end of the book the birds all celebrate because they are black and beautiful like blackbird.
Reflection: I liked the lyrical way in whi...more
Reflection: I liked the lyrical way in whi...more
Beautiful Black Bird
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
K-4th grade
The illustrations in Beautiful Black Bird appear to be collage inspired cut outs of birds of various colors with the exception to black bird, “the most beautiful bird of all.” The use of mostly primary and secondary colors, bold, bright illustrations capture a festive atmosphere. The text is written in a rhythmic, slightly repetitive poetic style telling a story about how the birds wish to be as beau...more
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
K-4th grade
The illustrations in Beautiful Black Bird appear to be collage inspired cut outs of birds of various colors with the exception to black bird, “the most beautiful bird of all.” The use of mostly primary and secondary colors, bold, bright illustrations capture a festive atmosphere. The text is written in a rhythmic, slightly repetitive poetic style telling a story about how the birds wish to be as beau...more
Coretta Scott King award-winner, Beautiful Blackbird, is a book to add to your collection for its message, its rhythm as well as its simple artistic beauty. This is a story adapted from a tale of the people of Zambia and it often reads like a poem or a song with its rhyme and alliteration. All the birds in the story are of one color and they long to be as beautiful as the black bird. They beg him for a little black color in their feathers and he is kind enough to share what he has with all of th...more
this book was interesting the moment i looked at the cover. the first thing that came to my mind was the bird on the front looks like a reference of some symbol that is on anther book and maybe it has to have a meaning almost like it. well when i started to read the book i was amazed to learn that it talked about how each bird is different and how they came to receive their different colors and shapes. but in the long run i knew that the bird on the cover was just a picture and that there was no...more
Beautiful Blackbird is a picture book for readers in K-2nd grade. It is about a blackbird that all of the other birds love to look at. The blackbird is the only bird with any black on his body and all of the other birds are different and lighter colors. The blackbird gives his color to all of the other birds by mixing his blackness in a medicine gourd and painting patterns on them. Everyone is very pleased with their new looks because black is beautiful. This book has bright beautiful pictu...more
Summary: This is a story about how the blackbird was seen as the most treasured of all the birds in Africa. All of the birds of bright colors think that he blackbird is the most beautiful of them all. They beg the blackbird to give them some black so that they may be as beautiful as he is. The book focuses on two main themes: that what is within is more important than appearance, and how important each color is including black. The line that seems to sum up the book is: “Just remember, whate...more
Abigail
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone Who Appreciates Beautiful Picture-Book Illustrations
Shelves:
folklore-mythology,
picture-books
With over thirty children's books to his name, many of them award-winning explorations of the African-American experience, Ashley Bryan is an author whose work I have long wanted to read. His many folktale adaptations, in particular, have been tempting me of late, so I am especially disappointed that Beautiful Blackbird - supposedly a retelling of a traditional tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia - didn't impress me more.
First though, the good news: this is a beautiful book, ...more
First though, the good news: this is a beautiful book, ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
It’s a rhythmic retelling (or perhaps reinterpretation) of a Zambian tale. The ironic twist on reality is that all the rainbow coloured birds desire the beauty of the sole black bird. Of course, he stresses one of the book’s more striking messages, especially for young readers, that beauty is not only what’s outside but what’s within.... perhaps most important my four year old nephew likes it. Read more of my thoughts at http://wadadlipen.wordpress.com/2011/07/...
I loved this book. It's a cute story of how all of the beautiful birds want to want the color of the Beautiful Blackbird. He has everyone's color in his feathers, but they don't have his color. He reminds his friends as he's painting them with black spots, that no matter what color they are, they will still be who they are and he would still be him. Nice story of how we are all different and unique and we should be satisfied with ourselves and remember who we are.
This is an African folktale in which beautiful birds of all colors beg to resemble the deep blackness of the beautiful black bird, luckily Black bird is willing to share is deep blackness with them and in his generosity he shares a speck of blackness to all the other birds. Share this book to show students the art of story telling and that everone is unique in their own beautiful way. This book is appropriate for pre-k to 3rd grade audiences.
Back when the birds of Africa were all colors of the rainbow, there were no marks of black on their feathers. Thinking Blackbird is the prettiest of all, they wish for black on their feathers too. Using his black roots, medicine gourd and wing, Blackbird places a unique mark of black upon their feathers. Even with a new look, Blackbird teaches the colorful birds that the color on the inside is what makes them most unique.
This was not one of my favorite books. I found it very hard to keep my attention. I just kept getting distracted. However, it would keep children's attention better, because of all the beautiful colors in the book. The illustration of the book is excellent. The story in the book, is a valuable lesson. The birds thing Blackbird is the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds envy Blackbird. However, Blackbird warns them beauty comes from within.
Ashley Bryon showcases his ability to manipulate paper to truly make ths book come alive. This is an adaption of a tale from Zambia. The Blackbird is reveared by his fellow birds for being the most powerful. The blackbird gives each bird a touch of black to make them feel more special. you learn that it is not the beauty on the outside that is important but how are you are on the inside.
Long time ago all the birds in Africa were all different colors, but none had the color black except Blackbird had all the black. All the birds praised Blackbird and wanted some black on them too because it is beautiful. So, Blackbird painted a little black on all the birds. I would suggest this book for early elementary.
Age:
Grades 2-7
Genre:
Realistic fiction
Diversity
black is Beautiful.
Illustrations:
Drawings, black ,yellows.
Personal response:
Black is beautiful tale. I liked it as it reinforces respect for people of all colors. I could not imagine living in a world where there is only one type of person.
Curricular or programming connections:
Social studies writing.
Grades 2-7
Genre:
Realistic fiction
Diversity
black is Beautiful.
Illustrations:
Drawings, black ,yellows.
Personal response:
Black is beautiful tale. I liked it as it reinforces respect for people of all colors. I could not imagine living in a world where there is only one type of person.
Curricular or programming connections:
Social studies writing.
I read and listened to this book. I think it is wonderful to hear Ashley Bryan's voice, but one must also look at the beautiful pictures in order to fully appreciate the depth of this wonderful book. Perfect for k-12. I think the younger students will like to hear the story. The older children can analyze the book and art students can look at Bryan's artistic techniques.
I heard the author read this book, among others that he's written, at a conference several years ago. I can still hear his voice in my mind's ear. AMAZING! After hearing him read this tale, I know that I don't do this story justice. I'll be searching for an audio version read by the author soon!
Blackbird was voted the most beautiful of all the birds, for "his feathers gleam all the colors in the sun". The birds begin to ask Blackbird to paint them with black paint so they can be beautiful like him. Blackbird explains, "Color on the outside is not what's on the inside," but he agrees to paint the other birds. Enjoy the rhythm and colors of this picture book. It shares the message, black is beautiful!
All the birds of Africa were just one color. When the birds voted that Blackbird was the most beautiful, they each wanted to be black. He used his blackening brew in a medicine gourd to help paint the other birds with black markings. Black is beautiful, uh-huh!
Kara Roberts
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
animals,
book-awards,
concept-book,
contemporary-fiction,
culture,
fiction,
folklore,
magic,
picture-book,
relationships
Coretta Scott King Award.
Great for elementary or those with a cognitive disability. Teaching students about beauty, fitting-in, jealousy, and envy is something that correlates with this book. I liked this book and would recommend it to my class.
Great for elementary or those with a cognitive disability. Teaching students about beauty, fitting-in, jealousy, and envy is something that correlates with this book. I liked this book and would recommend it to my class.
Ashley Bryan wrote and illustrated this book. It is a story of the Ila people. The colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of his 'blackening brew'.
I'm pretty sure I got to hear him read this folktale at a conference. Great book for diversity and seeing beauty in all colors. For the art-inclined, the illustrations are cut paper. Uh-huh!
It was cool that the pictures were cutouts, and when the colorful birds got black markings, they looked different. But I only really liked the pictures. I didn't really get the point of the story.
Interesting twist on black bird. Some cultures think that black birds are good luck and beautiful. I personally like the colorful ones. The story is a good way to learn about sharing gifts.
Great multicultural story about fitting in with everyone. Whether your white, black, tan, or pale. This is a great story that we may be different colors but we can all make this a better world. Great morals and great illustrations.
Thought this would be a good book for the students that have a bad image about their skin color. It won an award calledCoretta Scott King Award.
Very beautiful story. Great illustrations. Ashley Bryan is the author of Beautiful Blackbird and many other great picture books.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
Ashley Bryan is an illustrator, children's author, and poet.
More about Ashley Bryan...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
