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Tar Beach

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 2,890 ratings · 188 reviews

Illus. in full color. "Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular a...more

Paperback, 32 pages

Published December 3rd 1996 by Dragonfly Books (first published 1991)

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Jan 28, 2012 Alex Alfaro added it

On the hot summer nights, Cassie’s family gathers on the rooftop to eat while Cassie dreams of her adventures of flying through the city. Flying is Cassie’s escape, and she allows the reader to come with her on her journeys to the George Washington Bridge, the Ice Cream Factory, and more. However, the reader is quickly brought back down to earth and made aware of the realities in Cassie’s life. Despite the magical, lighthearted aspects of the story, Tar Beach is a realistic story of the struggle...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Necole Penn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10-20-books, relationships

Tar Beach sounds like a book that would be about a beach that maybe had tar, but I didn't think about having a beach on a rooftop. It was a great idea to come up with this book and show other fun ways of spending time with loved ones and friends. It gave me ideas of how children would love to see the view not even on a rooftop but maybe in the park or close to tar. Tar would be a little to much for young children if the sun is out. If it was winter time and we had a tar basketball court or anyth...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Evan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-study, 311, multicultural, read-aloud, family

Tar Beach is the story of a young girl named Cassie Lightfoot and her unique perspective of Harlem in the 1930’s. Cassie flies above her black tar rooftop and has a bird’s eye view of her city in which she recounts some of the different things she sees such as her most prized possession, the George Washington Bridge, and her father’s workplace at a union building where he is a construction worker.

The book has a very positive message about the need to dream and flourish while still containing und...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Jessica Sheaffer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mc-literature

Tar Beach, is historical fiction based on real events from Faith Ringgold’s Childhood. Faith Ringgold wrote and illustrated this book that takes place in New York City around 1940. During this whimsical and poignant narrative, Cassie Louise Lightfoot (the main character), has the power to fly, and with that ability she can overcome any obstacle and create a better life for herself and her family during a time in which African-Americans and other people of color, were not given the same opportuni...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Alicia Ard rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Tar Beach" is a journey through the mind of Cassie Louise Lightfoot. Cassie is an eight-year-old African-American girl whose lower-class family lives in New York. The story originated as a very colorful story quilt and later evolved into book form.

Tar Beach is the name Cassie has given the rooftop of the apartment complex in which she resides. It is a nice gathering place for families to spend hot summer nights.

Cassie tells us that when she visits Tar Beach, she can fly anywhere she pleases. Th...more "Tar Beach" is a journey through the mind of Cassie Louise Lightfoot. Cassie is an eight-year-old African-American girl whose lower-class family lives in New York. The story originated as a very colorful story quilt and later evolved into book form.

Tar Beach is the name Cassie has given the rooftop of the apartment complex in which she resides. It is a nice gathering place for families to spend hot summer nights.

Cassie tells us that when she visits Tar Beach, she can fly anywhere she pleases. This is not to be taken literally, of course; while Cassie can dream and pretend that she is flying, it is her imagination that really soars. Cassie likes to imagine flying over grand parts of the city. She can see her father working, helping to construct different buildings. Most importantly, Cassie enjoys flying and circling around the George Washington bridge.

This all sounds incredibly mystical for an eight-year-old girl to fly and explore the city. Midway through the story, the reader learns that the story is set in the late 1930's, towards the end of the Great Depression. Cassie's father works in construction, and he was involved in building the George Washington bridge in 1931, and the new Union Building in the present time of the story. Cassie further explains that her dad cannot join the Union because of their heritage. While not having the knowledge of the work force that a working adult would have, Cassie still has a strong sense that the Union could make things better for her family. She comments in her own words that her father would be richer and "Mommy won't cry all winter when he goes to look for work and doesn't come home." Cassie believes that the Union would help her family to feel more secure compared to their neighbors, who have more money.

Cassie feels powerful when she flies and comes to the conclusion that she can take ownership of anything over which she flies. She wants to fly over the Union building and give it to her father. This is an incredibly selfless gift idea that Cassie has for her family. She would also like to give her brother a trip over the bridge. Cassie's flying over the tall structures of the city greatly symbolizes her will and wishes to triumph over the problematic "structures" in her personal life. It is not implied whether or not Cassie's parents discuss with her the issues of finding work in such difficult times and for simply having African-American heritage. Nonetheless, she has an incredible understanding of the issues surrounding her family at the time. Cassie's ability to "fly" helps her to cope with those struggles.

This story great for seeing into the eyes, mind, and heart of a little girl growing up in some very hard times. The issues of being "colored" come out in a very age-appropriate perspective; they are expressed very seriously, but with a sense of innocence still intact. This story serves a great purpose for its intended young audience, and that is to go back in time and gain sense of what it was like to grow up in that time. As an adult reader, the same point of view can be learned and understood, in addition to the memories of one's own childhood troubles.(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Ariana Thomas added it

Grade/Interest Level: Primary K-2
Guided Reading Level: P
Genre: Multicultural, Modern Fantasy

Main Characters: Cassie Louise Lightfoot, Mom and Dad (Cassie's parents), Mr. and Mrs. Honey (neighbors), Bebe (Cassie's brother)
Setting: Cassie's home and neighborhood in Harlem
POV: from Cassie

This is a great story about an 8 year old, 3rd grade girl named Cassie Louise Lightfoot who has longed for the freedom to go wherever she wants. One night while on the rooftop of her home in Harlem along with her...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Jessica Berry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-story-books

Eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot flies up in the sky with the stars at night. She flies over the George Washington Bridge, the Union Building, the ice cream factory, and tar beach, which is her rooftop, and discusses some of these things. At the end of the story, when she flies back over tar beach while her parents are having dinner with their neighbors, Cassie flies back up in the stars and brings her younger brother, Be Be, with her. I was surprised by how observant Cassie is throughout...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-story-books

I really enjoyed reading this story. First and foremost the illustrations caught my eye, which were very colorful and highly detailed. It was a story about a little girl who lived with her family in the city and, they were always associating with their neighbors on the rooftop. She would believe that she was flying around the city and would do many things she wished she could do to make life better for her family. Her father was always out looking for work and would sometimes be gone for months...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Staphany Ramirez added it

While I was reading this book, I really enjoyed it. I honestly love the artistic and detailed pictures the illustrator chose for this book. I think this book is mainly about a girl who uses her imagination to step away from her tragedies for a while. I believe that that technique should be used by other children, it's a good method to use. You accept that life isn't going so well, yet you don't let that affect you and be optimistic about it, instead. She first begins by lifting herself and flyin...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Barbara added it

Tar Beach is about a little girl who loves "Tar Beach" in other wards she loves the rooftop on her apartment complex. She loves to fly over the stars and look at the George Washington bridge. She imagines herself flying all over tar beach looking at the beautiful stars and all the buildings around her. This book is great for a younger audience as well as those who can read well. This book can be used as a teaching tool to once again have the students tell there own story from the book by just lo...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Melissa Fordonski rated it 4 of 5 stars

As you begin reading Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, the dedication page gives the reader insight that the title Tar Beach came from memories the author has from spending time with friends and family on the roof of her childhood apartment building. In the beginning, we are introduced to the main character, Cassie, as she is soaring though the New York City sky on both the title page and in the first few pages of the story. She wants to own all parts of the city, especially those parts that are spec...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

The illustrations in this story are absolutely mesmerizing. I love the thick, acrylic paintings and quilt border that outlines the bottom of each page. The illustrations are simple and child-like, which mirrors the way the narrator (a young girl) sees the world. Not only are the pictures interesting, but the message this story communicates is one that many young and old people can relate to. Cassie, the main character and narrator, shares her hopes for a better life for her family and depicts th...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Meghan Porter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tar Beach is a very moving book. It is about and African American girl, Cassie, who uses her imagination to fly over the George Washington Bridge. She sees the world through the eyes of a child and is able to think differently than her parents and friends. She uses her imagination to think of a world where her life, and the lives of her family are better. She wants to give the Daddy the Union Office so that he would always have job and be happy. This would also make her Mommy happy because she...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Rebecca Hipps rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first time I read “Tar Beach,” many years ago, I did not like it. I remember thinking the illustrations were amateur and didn’t think the story was interesting. I began my most recent reading of this book, by reading the information and author biography provided in the back of the picturebook. As I learned about Faith Ringgold’s heritage and experiences and came to understand that “Tar Beach” is actually a story quilt, I read the book from a whole different perspective. The story, told from...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Wanett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tar Beach is an adaptation of artist Faith Ringgold’s own work. The original art piece is a story quilt, one of five actually, depicting a similar tale. Many of the elements from the quilt, the borders around each page and the image used for the cover are taken from the story quilt. An image of the original, which hangs in the Guggenheim Museum, is featured in the back of the book alongside information about Ringgold, her series of quilts and the inspiration for the story they told. A major them...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Fenixbird SandS rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awards-caldecott, childrensbooks, picturebooks, passions-life-crises, cultural-awareness, fantasy

1991 CALDECOTT HONOR PICTURE BOOK MY SYNOPSIS: Many large, tall skyscrapers surround the George Washington Bridge, a lighted suspension bridge, which Harlem overlooks. Atop one of these buildings young Cassie, her brother, parents and Mrs. and Mrs. Honey enjoy potlucks, card games, and whimsy on the rooftop which they name “Tar Beach.” Here Cassie soars over the city wearing the lights of the bridge as a necklace. She learns to “fly” here and feels she can own anything!
THEME: Cassie, a third gra...more 1991 CALDECOTT HONOR PICTURE BOOK MY SYNOPSIS: Many large, tall skyscrapers surround the George Washington Bridge, a lighted suspension bridge, which Harlem overlooks. Atop one of these buildings young Cassie, her brother, parents and Mrs. and Mrs. Honey enjoy potlucks, card games, and whimsy on the rooftop which they name “Tar Beach.” Here Cassie soars over the city wearing the lights of the bridge as a necklace. She learns to “fly” here and feels she can own anything!
THEME: Cassie, a third grader, can envision an equality for her and her family through her nighttime magical imaginings on those nights at least when her family and their friends can “own” a piece of “Tar Beach” (Harlem tenement building’s rooftop). She shows us HOW to and that they CAN be overcome—prejudices.
Is the theme worthwhile? Is it too obvious or overpowering? The theme is a powerful one! As Cassie determines through her own fantasies own that SHE can overcome anything we each feel somewhat more empowered ourselves. The child audience is appealed to by these themes of unlimited thinking and visions of a better world, an empowered world, through daydreaming (or nighttime day dreaming as in this case). As Ringgold writes and illustrates Cassie’s experiences this theme is woven together and carries us and her little brother BeBe away through Cassie’s vicarious Big-Sisterliness to learn about her very own breathtaking and inspiring experiences atop the roof on many a warm summer night.
Personal Reaction. When I discovered that Ringgold chose her quilt which she also calls “Tar Beach” as an outer border of both her front and back covers of this book, it reminded me of something I recently learned—that quilt makers during the Civil War incorporated messages, directions, instructions. Faith Ringgold branched into story writing from quilt making. My delight at the author’s use of imagery served to emphasize her theme and makes me want to explore other 1991 Caldecott Medal winners because they MUST be even more better than Ringgold’s entry!

Content. What is the focus of the book? Through the nighttime magical imaginings of a young girl, Cassie, in the third grade, we are shown her world where prejudices CAN be overcome and in which she determines through her fantasies that she can overcome anything.
Is the book appropriate for a particular age of student or child? What age would most appreciate the book? From early age 0 to 5 years (pre-readers) and beyond. These vivid inner city illustrations tell the message of life surrounded by high rises and the body of water bridged by the George Washington Bridge, which Cassie’s father helped to build.
Does the book encourage curiosity and wonder about its topic(s)? Yes. How is it that children can “fly”? I can’t fly—or can I? Some people think this book is a good starting point for a discussion of wishes and vision.
Is the book connected to any particular curriculum topic(s) in more than just a superficial way? Yes, occupations, class differences, family life, big city issues such as labor unions, and prejudice. Cassie’s father brings Cassie with him to his job site where he builds skyscrapers.
What is the quality of the language? It is third grad-ish! After all, Cassie tells us that she is in the third grade. Ringgold includes many of Cassie’s own words or thoughts, such as . She flies over the George Washington bridge that she wishes she can wear as a necklace because her father helped build it. She also wishes that her father could be rich and build his own building and get the respect he deserves. In the end, she is happy that she can enjoy Tar Beach(the roof on top of the building she lives in)with her family and it allows her to daydream about so many things she would like in that world. A great book to teach students that anything is possible...even if it is in your dreams
Is the vocabulary appropriate? Absolutely relevant vocabulary that includes some very “adult” concepts like, “But still he can’t join the union because Grandpa wasn’t member.” I am uncertain but believe that since the 1930’s (the setting of this book) unions now accept a diverse culture of workers’ applications. But Ringgold’s book does NOT go into The Civil Rights Act of 1962 (perhaps because this is quite a few decades prior to that! This book and its third-grade geared vocabulary encourage us to live vicariously through Cassie’s dreams and fantasies.
• Illustrations. Both the front and back cover are as vivid as the inside illustrations. I loved that Ringgold chose her quilt which she also calls “Tar Beach” as an outer border of both her front and back covers of this book.—This books back cover shows simply the picture of Cassie “flying” in the sky. Her covers truly appeal to her child audience and equally delight, I feel, her adult audience.
What are the illustrations like? What medium does the illustrator use? I believe illustrator/author Ringgold uses acrylic paintings. Ringgold’s rich detail and vivid, rich colors echo the vibrancy and intensity of young Cassie’s flights of fancy.
Do the illustrations extend the text? Ringgold’s illustrations not only extend the text but further display her respect for children’s understandings, abilities and appreciations, a high measuring stick forCaldecott Honors and Medal winners.
Are the words and illustrations woven together in any way? Yes, tightly woven together Ringgold’s prose and her city life illustrations work in synchronicity to depict the changing moods our little character Cassie feels for example, when she goes with her father to his worksite and when the whole family joins the Honey family on the “tar beach” rooftop at night. “They call him the Cat.” because he walks on steel girders many stories about the ground. Mood changing to magical at night with the vivid, intense nighttime palette of deep, majestic royal blue sky with the white lights of the bridge “like a giant diamond necklace,” she writes.
Do they create "rhythm and movement" in any way? Ringgold’s paintings reflect the lack of motion of the buildings, their starkness against the day time sky and their illusory qualities in the night, starlit skies. It is then at night when the sky comes alive, and Cassie “flies” above the other buildings like the ice cream factory and daddy’s union building which she picks. “Well, Daddy is going to own that building, ’cause I’m gonna fly over it and give it to him.”
What colors are used and for what purpose? Bold primary colors by night accented by the bright whites of the stars in the sky and the lights on the George Washington Bridge.
What does the illustrator try to convey through her art? How magnificent a cascade of dormant colors becomes when the sky is morphed from dusk into night! Cassie almost instinctively comprehends that the limitations of her father’s half-black and half-native American ethnicity has made life harder for her father and her mother. Children can learn here that personal and cultural identity often in the past has created difficulties for people. Ringgold paints for us through her acrylic paintings an empathy for the suffering of Cassie’s family and hopefully influences young minds to consider these influences in their own future decision making.
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Feb 06, 2011 Ronyell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-children-s-books-you-must-read, african-american, children-books, drama, family-situations, caldecott-honor, picture-books, read-in-2010, racism, reading-rainbow-book, reviewed-books, ronyell-s-epinions-reviews, coretta-scott-king-medal

I have actually seen this book on an episode of “Reading Rainbow” and I thought that this book was great! “Tar Beach” is a Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book by Faith Ringgold that is about a young girl named Cassie Louise Lightfoot who tells the audience about how she flies in the sky over the city and relates her tale to the audience. “Tar Beach” is certainly a memorable book that children will love to read!

After reading this book, I started taking an interest in the art of...more I have actually seen this book on an episode of “Reading Rainbow” and I thought that this book was great! “Tar Beach” is a Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book by Faith Ringgold that is about a young girl named Cassie Louise Lightfoot who tells the audience about how she flies in the sky over the city and relates her tale to the audience. “Tar Beach” is certainly a memorable book that children will love to read!

After reading this book, I started taking an interest in the art of creating stories through quilts! Faith Ringgold has done an excellent job at both illustrating and writing this story about the life of an African-American girl during the 1930s. What really made this book stand out was the fact that it was based off of Faith Ringgold's story quilt that details the life of African-American women in America and I really loved the idea about this story coming from a story quilt, which is a quilt that tells the story of a person's life, since it made the story more creative and memorable to read about. Also, this book helped me learn more about black history, especially seeing how African-Americans and Native-Americans were treated during the construction of the Union building during the 1930s and it is interesting to see how far we have came from those times. Faith Ringgold's illustrations are truly creative and gorgeous, especially when she uses watercolor painting to illustrate the characters and the cities. The images that truly stood out for me were the images of Cassie flying over the George Washington Bridge and her apartment where her family lives on as it is simply breathtaking. I also loved the way that Faith Ringgold pasted pieces of her quilt on the bottom of the pages since it brings true creativity to the story and made the story even more heartwarming to read.

The only reason why I gave this book a four star rating is because even though I gave this book so much praise, the story seems to go through the events a bit too fast and there does not seem to be enough information about the characters themselves and the events that surrounded them, especially regarding the Union building since I wanted to learn more about the situation at the Union building during the 1930s.

Overall, “Tar Beach” is a great book for children who want to see stories through the eyes of a quilt and learn more about black history. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since the format is easy for younger children to understand.
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Feb 15, 2010 CH - Marvin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: awards-books-k-8

Author/Illustrator: Faith Ringgold; (Print,) Age: 6-10; Award: Caldecott Honor.

Tar Beach is a brief look into the summer nights, dreams, and hopes Cassie Louise Lightfoot, an eight year old third grader, from what appears to be Brooklyn (the bridge.) Cassie and her family spend time on top of their apartment roof, which is covered in tar, and they call it Tar Beach. Cassie wants to own the bridge, among other things, so that her hard-working father won't have to worry about NOT being in union be...more

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Jan 23, 2010 L-Crystal Wlodek rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural-literature

Summary: This picture book, illustrated in a quilt-like fashion, is intended for readers 4-8 years of age and is a Caldecott Honor book. This book is about the universal wish of freedom. It delightfully balances dreams of a young girl and the injustices of the adult world. One night, as Cassie Lightfoot lays on “tar beach” which is the rooftop of her apartment building, the stars lift her up, allowing her to fly all round the city. While flying, she claims all of the buildings her own so her fam...more

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May 22, 2012 Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold is an amazing children's book. Cassie Louise Lightfoot, a young African American girl living in Harlem, is eating dinner with her family on the roof of their apartment, which she calls "Tar Beach." Surrounded by the stars, Cassie feels like she's living on top of the world, flying over the city of Harlem. The beautiful illustrations pair up with the magical feeling of the story. Despite the happiness projected throughout the story, Cassie also manages to show us the d...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Israel Graves rated it 5 of 5 stars

I used this as my picture story book..And I just love,love,loved the illustrations in this book! I can completely agree that this book deserved to win a Caldecott Award that it recieved! First of all I must say that my favorite part of the illustrations in this book were the quilt patterns that were at the bottom of each page! The patterns are so unique and this is a first that I have seen in a children's picture book. They are very small so they are not distracting from the other illustrations...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: literacy-course

Genre: Multicultural, Picture Book and Autobiography
Interest Level: Kindergarten - Grade 2
Grade Level Equivalent: 2.9
Lexile: 790L
Award: Coretta Scott King

Main characters: Cassie, her father, her brother
Point of view: from Cassie
Setting: New York/her rooftop apartment

Plot:
I enjoyed Tar Beach because it addresses heavy concepts such as exclusion based on race, the yearning to be free, identity, and family. Tar Beach is actually the roof top of Cassie Louise's apartment, where her parents and neig...more Genre: Multicultural, Picture Book and Autobiography
Interest Level: Kindergarten - Grade 2
Grade Level Equivalent: 2.9
Lexile: 790L
Award: Coretta Scott King

Main characters: Cassie, her father, her brother
Point of view: from Cassie
Setting: New York/her rooftop apartment

Plot:
I enjoyed Tar Beach because it addresses heavy concepts such as exclusion based on race, the yearning to be free, identity, and family. Tar Beach is actually the roof top of Cassie Louise's apartment, where her parents and neighbors often gather to share dinner, beer, and discussion while Cassie and her brother lay on towels looking up at the night sky. Cassie begins by describing how she was able to float among the stars, flying through the city and hovering over her favorite bridge that was built on her birthday, George Washington Bridge. She declares that the bridge is hers because she claimed it, and it is revealed that her father actually contributed to the construction of it. It is implied that he works manual labor jobs and is always searching for work that requires great risk. Cassie describes how he could not join the union, despite his dedication and hard work, because they don't accept half-breed Indians or blacks. Cassie decides that her father and her family deserve so much more, and that she will claim all sorts of buildings for her family: the ice cream factory and the union building so that her daddy can own it and be a rich man, never having to risk his life building tall sky scrapers. The story ends with Cassie bringing her brother with her in the sky, telling him that anyone can fly, and that all you need is somewhere to go that you can't get to any other way.

Main ideas: racism, classism, gentrification, using your imagination to cope with inequity
Recommend? I recommend this book because of its interesting approach to racism and how some people are awarded advantages while others, who work just as hard, are not. I really was into the illustrations. They make me feel like I am right there with Cassie.
Personal reaction: This book made me empathize with Cassie. I appreciated how she was so aware of her father's hardwork and the unfair treatment he received.
Satisfying concluding statement: Tar Beach is imaginative, creative, and realistic, all in one. (less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Bethany Vines added it

Tar Beach is about a young girl that has adventures where she flies among the stars claiming all in the city that she wants for her family. This a story that provides a sense of adventure for young readers, but also contains many much deeper meanings as it describes some of the inequalities that this young girl experiences during her life. For example, she talks about owning a union building even though her dad could not be a member, she talks about wanting ice cream every night, but her family...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Arielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grade/interest level: Primary (1st-3rd grade)
Reading level: 1st grade
Genre: Fantasy, Autobiography
Main Characters: Cassie Lightfoot, Daddy, Be Be, Mommy
Setting: CAssie Lighfoot's rooftop, Tar Beach (New York)
Author: Faith Ringgold
POV: from Cassie Lightfoot

This book is about a third grade girl named Cassie Lightfoot. Born to a working class family she takes the readers through the city as she flies over the George Washington Bridge and over her home. Cassie’s family did not have much, but lying...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Angela Record rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: acceptance, book-awards, culture, diversity, family-realationships, friendship, folklore, informational, motivational, own-it, picture-book

This is a story of family. Cassie Louise Lightfoot is only eight years old. She can fly. And if she can fly she can do anything. Flying means freedom and with that she can save her father from the tall skyscrapers he helps build and the union that keeps him excluded. What is "Tar Beach" you might ask. It isn't a sandy beach with tar all around. You will have to read it to find out.
The illustrations mimick quilts. You might think it is odd, but it's wonderful. Faith Ringgold created this story o...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Sierra rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was honestly not something that I would enjoy reading to a class. Throughout the book I was a bit confused about what the message or meaning behind the storyline was and in the end I was honestly left confused and speechless (but not in a good way). My take on the book is that it is about a little girl named Cassie Louise Lightfoot who is having an imaginable adventure about her flying above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' and, looking down on 1939 Harlem. She flies ove...more

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Sep 05, 2010 Kristi rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a story of family. Cassie Louise Lightfoot is only eight years old. She can fly. And if she can fly she can do anything. Flying means freedom and with that she can save her father from the tall skyscrapers he helps build and the union that keeps him excluded. What is "Tar Beach" you might ask. It isn't a sandy beach with tar all around. You will have to read it to find out.

The illustrations mimick quilts. You might think it is odd, but it's wonderful. Faith Ringgold created this story or...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Dolly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: parents reading with their children

Shelves: 2011, childrens, other-usa, caldecott-honor, reading-rainbow

This is a nice story about the wonders of imagination and the joys of city life. Where else but in a city of high-rise buildings like New York City could a little girl go up to the "tar beach" on the roof of a building, have a party surrounded by the dark of the sky and the lights of the buildings around you and admire the sparkling jewel lights of a bridge that her own father helped to build? Fun story, with gorgeous illustrations and dark, bold colors. We loved the background information on th...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Rosita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-7-years-old, bedtime, colorful, easy-to-read, imagination, language-art, picture-book, preschooler, multi-culture, literature

This book is an African-American family that sits on the top of the roof of a high building eating dinner with their family. There is a young little girl and her brother on the mattress on the top of the roof either sleeping or using their imagination. The girl's daddy explain to his daughter about George Washing Bridge, when the young little girl wanted to possesion of the bridge. Her imagination took her up in the sky, cross over skyscraper buildings, and make her fly. We all know that the bea...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Johncady rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tar Beach tells the story of little Cassie Louise Lightfoot, an 8 year old girl who flies (or at least she believes so) over the buildings and landmarks she loves in order to own them for her family. They are an immigrant family who live in New York City near the George Washington Bridge which her father had helped to build. She fantasizes about flying over it and making it hers, along with several other buildings, including a Union building her father isnt allowed to be in. Her father works har...more

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