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Never Forgotten

by Patricia C. McKissack, Leo Dillon (Illustrator), Diane Dillon (Illustrator)

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 249 ratings · 79 reviews

A 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

"Forceful and iconic," raved Publishers Weekly in a starred review. This gorgeous picture book by Newbery Honor winner Patricia C. McKissack and two-time Caldecott Medal-winning husband-and-wife team Leo and Diane Dillon is sure to become a treasured keepsake for African American families. Set in West Africa, this a lyrical story-...more

Hardcover, 48 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Schwartz & Wade

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2012 Mock Caldecott

32nd out of 82 books — 165 voters

Newbery 2012

65th out of 136 books — 546 voters

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Jun 25, 2012 Josiah rated it 3 of 5 stars

An inspiring meld of African folk literature and modern storytelling technique, Never Forgotten is stunning in equal measure for its emotionally involving plot and the evocative artwork that accompanies it; of course, this is what one tends to expect from author Patricia C. McKissack and illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon. So much of why this story hits home like it does is the flawless way in which text and artwork fit together to give a sweeping, unobscured vision of African culture and the jo...more An inspiring meld of African folk literature and modern storytelling technique, Never Forgotten is stunning in equal measure for its emotionally involving plot and the evocative artwork that accompanies it; of course, this is what one tends to expect from author Patricia C. McKissack and illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon. So much of why this story hits home like it does is the flawless way in which text and artwork fit together to give a sweeping, unobscured vision of African culture and the joy that can emerge out of the sorrow of human experience. Even as the heat of suffering began rising to agonizing levels with the arrival of American slave ships, come to capture the children of the Africans and send them across the ocean to a land where their parents would likely never see them again, the joy of the people's spirits refused to die, would not lie down and accept defeat even in a situation so bleak and seemingly hopeless.

Never Forgotten begins with the story of the great Mende blacksmith Dingal, greatly respected among his people but struck squarely one day by the death of his wife as she gives birth to their only son, Musafa. Though his contemporary culture says that it isn't a father's place to bring up a baby, that a widower should either find a new woman to marry or relinquish the orphaned child to a family with two parents, Dingal shakes off these expectations of his friends and neighbors, determining that he will care for his son on his own. Brave, revered man that he is, Dingal straps the baby onto his back just as a woman would do and carries his precious cargo with no shame, going about his work as if it were the most natural thing in the world for a father to be carrying his child at all times. The ties that bind Dingal and Musafa are those of necessity and love, and no social convention can ever be more enduring than such strong, instinctive ties as these.

Dingal isn't entirely on his own in bringing up Musafa, though. Where the strengths of a committed father end and the need for a mother begins, Dingal relies upon the four natural spirits of this world―Earth, Fire, Water and Wind―to help provide for Musafa, nurturing the child in comfort and quiet strength as he grows. Musafa doesn't take to the work of the anvil the same way his father does, but the spirits soothe Dingal's concerns, telling him "One day his hammer will find a song". Musafa has more in his future than simply following in his father's footsteps; blacksmithing will play a part in his life, for sure, but there is a larger destiny into which Musafa has been made to fit, and even the evil storm that approaches cannot snuff out the future for which Musafa is headed.

Then the slave ships arrive, and the wailing voices of many join into one continental cry of bereavement as children are taken away forever, including the joy of Dingal's soul, Musafa. Not even the wise spirits of Earth, Fire, Water and Wind can help bring back Musafa now, but as Dingal slowly begins to comprehend the horrifying reality that he probably won't ever come face to face with his beloved son again, there is still solace to be had in the words of the Wind, who finds her own way to give Dingal the gift of a contented spirit in the knowledge that Musafa may be a world away, but the wisdom and virtue that Dingal instilled in him as he grew up are ballast enough to keep him afloat wherever he goes. Dingal will never stop missing Musafa, will never forget the son who was his wife's final and sweetest gift to him, but Musafa has become capable of standing on his own two feet and meeting the New World with all the courage and inner strength modeled to him throughout his youth by his father.

So often when we lose what's most important to us the foundational structure of our life quickly crumbles, and we come to realize that we never really had the strength to stand on our own. Never Forgotten, though, is a story about quite the opposite effect. When the waves come crashing and the storm rocks the foundation of their life with a violence that most will never know, Dingal and Musafa, separated by the miles, each stands up straighter and prouder, never forgetting the strength to be found in the memories of those they love and what they taught them for the time that circumstances allowed them to be a part of each other's life. Continuing to stand tall in the face of cruel loss doesn't have to mean forgetting the past; in fact, remembering it can be the key to remaining upright even through the most stringent of trials, the most arduous of journeys either physical or metaphorical. Because love never gives up, and knowing that there's someone out there who still loves you and cares about what's happening to you is a flame that not even the most blustery storm can extinguish.

Of all the outstanding artwork in this book, I think it's the rendering of the Fire spirit that I find most intriguing. The flaming strength of the spirit as it tries to ward off Musafa's kidnappers brings to exquisite life that part of the story, as the drawings do throughout the book. The author and illustrators have really created something special in Never Forgotten, a book that I think could have been a legitimate contender for both the Newbery and Caldecott awards in 2012. I can hardly imagine any reader not liking this book, and I would give it at least two and a half stars. (less)

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Feb 21, 2012 Krista the Krazy Kataloguer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-childrens-books, read-historical-fiction, read-novels-in-verse, read-corettascottking

I'm going to call this a novel (more like a story) in verse, because it's catalogued as fiction and it's told in poems. Patricia McKissack has written another winner with this account of a Mende blacksmith's beloved son, who is captured and sold into slavery in Carolina. McKissack states in her author's note at the end that she wanted to tell the story of the people left behind in Africa, and how they remembered their loved ones who were stolen away. The lyrical words and the Dillons' beautiful...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, read-in-2013

Never Forgotten, written by Patricia C. McKissack and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, is a nominee for the 2013-14 South Carolina Children's Book Award.

Never Forgotten is a beautiful, poetic book that, in my opinion, fills a void when it comes to studies of slavery. This book of poetry takes a look at the relationship between a man, his son, the elements that were a huge part of their lives as blacksmiths in Africa, and how their lives were impacted by the slave trade.

When the young boy, M...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural, grades-6-8

Never Forgotten is just that, never forgotten. I will always remember the story and images this book portrays from its beautiful illustrations and poetic words written in verse. It tells a story in West Africa about a blacksmith named Dinga, who loses his son Musafa who is kidnapped to the evils of slavery. It shows Musafa’s life growing up and how he was shaped by Mother Elements of Wind, Earth, Fire, and Water whom his father speaks to. When Musafa disappears everything turns bad and all of th...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: community, cultural-identity, families, folk-tales, gifted, nbgs2012, novels-in-verse, read-aloud

Not only is the story of Dinga, a Mende blacksmith in West Africa, and his lost son Musafa not to be forgotten, but the lush, incredibly detailed acrylic and watercolor illustrations of this book are just as memorable. Told as a novel in verse that has the rythmn of a folktale, passed down from generation to generation, the story focuses on the love Dinga has for his son. When Musafa's mother dies in childbirth, Dinga entreats Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water to help him raise his son. All goes well...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

A beautiful series of poems that tells the tale of a young African boy who is taken from his home as a slave. Musafa's mother dies in childbirth and he is raised by his father Dinga. Dinga calls on the earth, fire, water and wind to help raise his child. Musafa learns the blacksmith trade from his father, although he has a much more creative approach. From the earth, fire, water and wind, Musafa learns about the world and life. When Musafa does not return home one day, his father discovers he ha...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, african-american

I was immediately drawn to the stunning cover of this new work by Patricia C. McKissack, who has written or co-authored over 100 books about the African-American experience and has received countless awards for her work. In her newest work, she marries African folktales with historical fiction, telling in free verse the story of an 18th century West African boy raised by his blacksmith father and the Mother Elements--Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth. The boy, named Mufasa, disappears one day, like s...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Meagan Myhren-bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Libraries, Home Schoolers, All Age Groups

Shelves: history, slavery, family

NEVER FORGOTTEN
By Patricia C. McKissack
Artwork by Leo and Diane Dillon

This is the most difficult book review, to date, that I have ever written. Nothing I write can do justice to this superb work of art. Never Forgotten is indeed a work of art. It is moving and touches the soul.

Never Forgotten is a story of love, a story of memory, and a story of family. The lyrical meter and the artwork add to the feel, the moment of the story.

Never Forgotten is a story of slavery, but it is told from the pers...more NEVER FORGOTTEN
By Patricia C. McKissack
Artwork by Leo and Diane Dillon

This is the most difficult book review, to date, that I have ever written. Nothing I write can do justice to this superb work of art. Never Forgotten is indeed a work of art. It is moving and touches the soul.

Never Forgotten is a story of love, a story of memory, and a story of family. The lyrical meter and the artwork add to the feel, the moment of the story.

Never Forgotten is a story of slavery, but it is told from the perspective of those left behind. This is Dinga’s story, and even more than that a story of every family that ever had someone stolen from them for the purpose of slavery.

Dinga is raising his son, Mufasa, alone after the death of his wife. But Dinga is raising his son with the help of the four Mother Elements - Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind. As the years passed there have been drums of warning - drums that spoke of an outside threat. But the threat was so far away that Dinga paid them little heed.

When Mufasa was old enough Dinga began teaching him the skill of his family - blacksmithing. But one day as Mufasa gathered the brush for the fire he did not return. Dinga and the village searched for Mufasa, but could find no trace of the boy. Dinga asked the Mother Elements for their help but they were unable to stop the slavers and save Mufasa and stolen children of Africa.

For several years Dinga lived in sorrow with no hope for his stolen son. But one day Wind returned and told Dinga a tale. A tale that made his heart celebrate - though his son was taken and lived across the ocean in a faraway land Mufasa had never forgotten. Mufasa used the skills his father had taught him and told of the father that had taught him well.

This touching story of loss reminds us that “…the family endures forever,” and that “loved ones are never forgotten when we continue to tell their stories.”

This title is a must for any African-American collection and would be perfect as the focal point of any Black History month display. It is appropriate for all age groups.

This review is from an Advanced Digital Reader Copy provided by the Publisher for review purposes. (less)

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Aug 25, 2011 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

The more I read children’s literature the more I come to realize that my favorite books for kids are the ones that can take disparate facts, elements, and stories and then weave them together into a perfect whole. That someone like Brian Selznick can link automatons and the films of Georges Melies in The Invention of Hugo Cabret or Kate Milford can spin a story from the history of bicycles and the Jake Leg Scandal in The Boneshaker thrills me. Usually such authors reserve their talents for chapt...more

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May 10, 2012 Carolynne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Malinda, Abigail, Gundula, Kathryn, Holly

Recommended to Carolynne by: Elizabeth Bird

Shelves: picture-books, poetry, historical-fiction

McKissack emulates the chant of the griots before and after slavers kidnapped a young boy from a Mali village. She focuses on his father, a blacksmith, who according to tradition commands the four elements of earth, wind, water, and fire, and here uses them to try to find his beloved son. It is the wind who finds the boy who was lost, and tells his people what has become of him. Rather too optimistic an ending, but if I were the wind, I'd have done the same. Moving, poetic, sometimes dense text....more

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May 14, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-3, 4-5, eece615, picture_books

The tale of Musafa, a gifted slave blacksmith apprentice, is told from his birth to his time as a slave. Elements of African and Caribbean folktales are woven in. The story is told in verse from the perspective of Musafa's father with the help of Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind.

A wonderful tale to introduce a history unit on slavery. Students will connect emotionally with the father. The wonderful illustrations by Leo Leo Dillonand Diane Dillon Diane Dillonwill also be a welcome, familiar connectio...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit-2013

Audience: Although this book can be utilized with intermediate grades, I think it is best suited for a 3rd grade audience.

Appeal: Though some of the vocabulary used is slightly advanced, the structure makes the story seem easier to read. The story is also organized in a way that leaves the reader eager to see what happens next.

Application: I would use this book with a post-reading writing activity. I would pose the question to my students, “If you were taken from your family, what would your “go...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Debra Wake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature

Audience - Grade level K and up, students studying slavery and black history,

Subject - multi-cultural, black history, African storytelling and music

Appeal - This is the story of what happened when the slaves were taken in Africa. It is the story of Dinga and his son Musafa. Musafa was brought up by Dinga with the help of Earth, Fire, Wind and Water and was taken and sold into slavery. His father never stopped missing him and loving him. Mufasa grew to be a strong, wise man bcause he never forgo...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teachers to use during Black history month!

Shelves: american-history, historical-fiction, j-books, king-winner-and-honors, fiction

I'll admit that I didn't think McKissack had such a book in her. I was dubious when I realized the book had gotten the King award for authors, not for illustrators, but it turned out to be absolutely accurate. As amazing as the Dillons are, the text is much better! I read this quickly at work and didn't take time to reread it so I probably missed some particularly beautiful sentences. The one thing I DID do was ask Catalog to change this to J Fiction from E (picture books). There is too much tex...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Ashley Gregory rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-literature

Audience: 3rd-6th grade boys and girls, history classes, art classes.

Appeal: This story was different from the moment I opened the cover. Not just one story, but many stories being told that allow the reader to feel, see, and sense what it was like to be an African slave. The author did a fantastic job of bringing together stories of the people From the blacksmith to the naming of a child, it all was represented beautifully. The artwork in itself captured a different aspect of the story as well...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

Never Forgotten is a moving and beautifully illustrated story of the slave trade and of family. The central characters are a widowed father and his son; when the boy is young he is stolen by slave traders and taken to America. Knowing only that he cannot find his son, the father searches desperately for him, assisted by Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind, but learns finally that his son has been taken to Charleston, South Carolina, and works as a blacksmith--just like his father in Africa. I loved how...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-literature

Audience:P-2nd grade readers interested in African American history or just learning about it for the first time, those who like rhythmic and poetic books

Appeal: It has captivating illustrations and fun and rhythmic sound effects. It would be great read aloud and tells the story of the American slave trade from an original perspective. Many books about the slave trade focus on the plight of the slaves in America. This focuses on their origins.

2012 Coretta Scott King Book Award Recipient: Author...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Tpretz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-literature

Patricia McKissack weaves together historical fact, folklore and magical realism to tell the story of Musafa, the son of Dinga, a blacksmith. Going against village tradition, Dinga vows to raise his son after his wife dies in childbirth. With the aid of the Mother Elements, Musafa grows to be a curious and imaginative young boy and is destined to become an eighth generation blacksmith until one day he goes missing from the village. Taken on a slave ship to the Americas, young Musafa will not giv...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, tweens

I started out thinking that I had read this story before; that it was one of many accounts of Africans being stolen away from their homes and sold into slavery. However, author McKissack effectively revisits this history with her own blend of folklore and poetry, infusing the narrative with stories of the Elements called to action to try to save a lost son. The artwork by Leo and Diane Dillon also surprises, particularly in their whimsical characterizations of the four Elements. The story is a l...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

This picture book examines a little discussed topic in African-American history-- what did the people who were left behind do to remember the ones the people who were stolen for slavery? This picture book in verse follows the relationship between single father and blacksmith Dingo and his son Mustafa and gives an idea of what happened to Mustafa once he is taken and how his father deals with his departure. The folktale elements of the wind, water, fire and earth helping the two make this an inte...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Justine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit

This is a 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor Author Award book. This book is gender neutral and is supposed to be for Kindergarten and up but I believe that it is quite a difficult book to read. A Kindergartener may have the patience for someone to read this rather long picture book, but it will take a very good reader to be able to read it by themselves. The book is in a poem format. It's rather sad because a father loses his son to slavery, and it just makes you reflect on how much that would hurt...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Radhika added it

Kings may come and go but family endures forever. A powerful statement in the picture book which will be treasured by African Americans forever. Author Patricia C Mckissack has brought out wonderfully the agony of families torn apart because of humans were stolen for slavery. The courage of those stolen the pain of fathers, mothers, brothers sisters who are seperated has been put forth in this poignant story of love loss and seperation! The artwork is by two times Caldecott winners Leo and Diane...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rdg-4050

Never Forgotten Is a touching story of a man who has lost his wife in childbirth and his son to kidnappers. The story is told completely through free verse and the illustrations are fantastic! This book would be a great multicultural book to use in a unit on slavery or how slaves reached America. This would also be a good book to use as a read aloud poetry book over the course of a unit. Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated, Never Forgotten in a great book to have in an elementary cla...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Susie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gorgeous book with an important story, told in a unique way. I think if I were to use this with students, I would read the author's note at the end to them first, and afterwards discuss the characteristics of folktales. The acrylic/water color artwork does a wonderful job of telling the story, as well as the fine-crafted poetry. I think this would be well worth finding a good recording of the book to do it justice, or assign students different pages to perform.

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Mar 08, 2012 Lindsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-american, americana, esl, picture-books, read-alouds, slavery, verse-novels

Even though this isn't a novel, it is a poetry picture book that tells the story of an African boy. It begins with his life in Africa with his father and his mothers (water, wind, earth, and fire). The boy is taken by slave traders and ends up in the Carolinas. It is a story of both loss and hope. Gorgeous illustrations and a beautiful tale that invokes sadness, but ends with a positive note that leaves the reader feeling that everything will be okay.

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Jun 16, 2012 sureshi jayawardene rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't want to go into detail about the contents of the book, but I will say that it is a great read for you and your kids if you are trying to expose them to poetry, social issues, history, and cultural themes from Africa and African American communities. I read this to my 5-year-old last night at bedtime and the importance of a history lesson with an aesthetic feel to it, became clear to me as a parent. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Jun 26, 2012 Betsy added it

Shelves: childrens-lit

Audience - Grades four and up, teachers, english teachers

Appeal - This is a very well written book about family who loses there son, and after searching learn he is in the US and a slave. This would be a good book for a history lesson or an English lesson about wording. The story is written differently then a typical story and the words help you develop an understanding.

Coretta Scott King, Author Honor, 2012

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May 08, 2012 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, historical-fiction

Oh how I love the illustrations of Leo & Diane Dillon. Beautiful in every way. I especially loved the colors in this book. This one is hard to classify - it is in the easy picture book section at my library, but the subject matter seems to be for older children. It is the story of a boy taken as a slave from Africa and how his father and the elements of the Earth who helped raise him deal with it. Lovely book.

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Feb 07, 2012 Christiane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-fiction

This was on a list of ten best books for 2011 and I had not seen it yet. It is a beautiful, lyrical tale of a father and son. The son is taken by slave traders to America, and the grieving father calls upon the Mother Elements, who have always protected the boy, to discover his fate. The illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon are stunning and the story is full of optimism and hope, despite its sad subject matter.

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Dec 02, 2011 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-award-possibilities, picturebooks

As usual I'm no judge of poetry, but I enjoyed this folktale-style story as soon as I'd gotten a few pages in and understood there was a narrative here. The ending seemed oddly happy/optimistic. Absolutely gorgeous illustrations, certainly the most interesting I've seen this year; I certainly expect to see this on the Caldecott podium, and as for the Newbery--well, as I said, I'm no judge of poetry, so who knows?

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