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Aug 03, 2008

Roxanne Hsu rated it:

The illustrations are simply gorgeous! The tenderness, the light, the beauty of each child and the elements of nature combined to create such a mood, a fantastic backdrop ... to a dozen unexceptional poems threaded by a theme of skin, eye, and hair colors. Its tone is celebratory and affirmative but the poetry does not go much deeper than,

I run back into the house and tell Daddy,
"Daddy, Daddy, yellow is a good color!
Rich and bronze
And giving
Like me!" More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 03, 2009

Shel rated it:

Thomas, J.C. (2008). The Blacker the Berry. New York: Joanna Cotler Books.

9780060253752

The Blacker the Berry features twelve poems written by Joyce Carol Thomas complimenting different shades of skin color and connecting those colors with similes and metaphors of foods—mostly berries.

While the actual content of the picturebook is far from tense, there is building in the sense that the final poem incorporates all of the children previously described.

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Jan 25, 2011

L11_Margaret rated it:

The Blacker the Berry, by Joyce Carol Thomas, is a collection of poems that celebrates the varied shades of skin color among the African–American people. The poems each eloquently convey, through the eyes of a child, the beauty of their own complexion and how their skin came to be that color. An African-Native-American explains, “My mother says I am Red raspberries stirred into blackberries,” and goes on to tell about his Seminole Indian grandfather. The melodic poems are accompanied with won More...

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Jan 31, 2012

L12_matt rated it:

The collection of poems in The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas and illustrated by Floyd Cooper celebrates the many different shades of African American skin tones. Thirteen poems highlight different skin tones ranging from the lightest to the deepest. Each poem references a different berry found in nature and uses the berries to compare all the shades of skin with an emphasis on uniqueness and beauty.

This book won the Coretta Scott King Award. The poems are well written an More...

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Jan 22, 2011

Leane rated it:

Everything about this book is beautiful. The illustrations from Floyd Cooper are soft and detailed. He does a great job at creating smiling faces and different expressions. The goal of this book is to display a variety of children with a variety of skin tones, yet all of the children are African American to some degree. One girl is "midnight and berries" and she runs through the night under the moon with a cape following behind her. A little boy is "raspberry black", bei More...

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Mar 10, 2009

Krista the Krazy Kataloguer rated it:

Beautiful book of poetry about the various shade of black, illustrated with Floyd Cooper's colorful pictures. My favorite poem is the title poem, "The Blacker the Berry". This book certainly deserved a Coretta Scott King Award. Highly recommended!

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 14, 2009

(NS) Sue rated it:

Joyce Carol Thomas celebrates the many colors of children's skin in The Blacker the Berry. Her imagery uses blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, cranberries, snowberries, black coffee, brown biscuits, the night sky, etc. to illustrate the myriad shades of children who are of many races: A boy with Irish and African ancestors who has reddish-brown skin and crinkly red hair, "redder than a cranberry" when he was born. The African-Native American boy whose mother says he is " More...

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Mar 29, 2009

Caroline rated it:

I think this picture book is absolutely beautiful. As a celebration of individuality, differences, and all the skin tones that are represented in African-American families, it is second to none. The poems by Joyce Carol Thomas are perfectly matched to Floyd Cooper's dreamlike Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award-winning art.

One of the clerks at my library told me she wished there had been a book like this one when she was growing up because she was teased--even by her siblings--for he More...

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Feb 14, 2009

Mary Ann rated it:

Oh, this book has beautiful illustrations that make me see and think of so many children, and poems that speak to the heart about feeling good about just who we are. Thomas explores in her poetry how children feel about their different skin colors, but also how they feel about themselves, and the love that their families give to them. Cooper explores the radiance and thoughtfulness in each child.

Winner of the 2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and honor book for 2009 Corett More...

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Feb 15, 2009

Toby rated it:

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for Floyd Cooper, CSK Author Honor for Joyce Carol Thomas.
I find it interesting that all of the Coretta Scott King Author Honor books are poetry, a genre that some students find difficult, but also a genre that can express strong feelings in a few well-chosen words.
In The Blacker the Berry, Black, in all skin color shades and combinations, is beautiful and celebrated in poetry and soft focus illustrations. Clearly, this book me More...

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Sep 25, 2009

Abigail rated it:

Thirteen poems celebrate the many skin tones to be found in the African-American community, and the diverse families who created them, in Joyce Carol Thomas' The Blacker the Berry. A young boy in Raspberry Black proudly claims his Seminole great-great-grandmother, whose children were "the color of black dipped in red." A young girl comes to understand, in Golden Goodness," that her bronzed skin is a beautiful and generous hue. Another child, in Cranberry Red, notes that her Irish More...

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Aug 15, 2011

Becky rated it:

Joyce Carol Thomas's The Blacker the Berry is an absolute treasure, well deserving of the awards it has received. In the thirteen exquisite poems that make up this picture book collection, thirteen children of African descent, each a different hue, ranging from "midnight" to "light/as snowberries" voice their good feelings about being the color they are. Berries of all colors appear in the poems and in Floyd Cooper's rich, joyful paintings. It's amazing and powerful to hea

More...

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Aug 04, 2009

babyhippoface rated it:

From the deep color of blackberries to the sun-ripened red of cranberries, Joyce Carol Thomas’s poetry compares the hues of a variety of berries to the many shades of skin color in the African-American community. Each poem is a celebration of the beautiful, rich tones on the canvases of our skin, echoing the sentiment that “black is beautiful”, whether it is raspberry black, coffee black, snowberry white, or the yellow-black of a huckleberry bush. Cooper’s luminescent paintings are the poetry’s More...

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Dec 28, 2010

Jamie rated it:

The Blacker the Berry is a wonderful collection of poems about being African American. Each poem shows a different positive viewpoint of being black. Some of the poems discuss the shade of the person’s skin and other poems discuss how that color makes the person feel.
The illustrations are very well done. They are very realistic and complement each poem very well. The poems themselves are very descriptive.
Young children, especially African America More...

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Mar 20, 2010

Ch_ebonysmith rated it:

This is a wonderful book created to explain and show appreciation for the many different colors of African American people. Each poem relates to the skin tone of a different child in the book. African American American children will love to see a book that celebrates their dark, medium, or light skin tone. Children from different races will learn about the many colors of African Americans. This book would be great for younger readers, however older readers could find this book entertaining as we More...

1 comment like

Mar 14, 2010

L- Lisa rated it:

The many skin shades of African-American heritage are celebrated in this poetry book, illustrated by Floyd Cooper. The illustrations are outstanding paintings and the poetic description used by each child on the pages vividly creates an image of their individual beauty. This read aloud for preschool through 3rd grade is perfect for “all about me” units as children describe themselves using descriptive words, celebrating their individuality. I would read it first, asking children to listen wi More...

1 comment like

Sep 24, 2011

528_Mary Hoch rated it:

In this book of short poems, the author compares various shades of skin color to that of berries, each being unique and special. From the lightest shade of black to the deepest, each is beautiful in its own way.

This book is appropriate for all grades levels, K-5. The illustrations are amazing! The poems are based on children, which are illustrated beautifully in this book. I especially like the last illustration, which contains all of the children.

2 comments like

Jul 29, 2011

Catherine added it

I lvoed the concept--a book about the many colors that skin can come in, and that all of them have their own beuaty--there are multiple comparisons to berries, which I liked alot--the poemes were not difficult, but theyalso weren't great either. I was looking for some inspirational children poetry and this won a COretta Scott King award---which is not aimed at poetry but rather promoting tolerance in a non-violent way--which this could certainly do.

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Feb 22, 2010

Q_Ayana rated it:

This book truly embraces the essence of the black child - from black, to midnight, to golden, to snow-like. Each poem speaks to the nature of the child, and hopefully, will allow readers to see and appreciate the beauty of every child, no matter what their shade or color is. The illustrations are great because the smiles of the children reflected in the images, help to demonstrate self-love and acceptance.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 25, 2011

Renee rated it:

I love, love, love this book. As I read these evocative poems, I got a lump in my throat; don't we all want the children around us to feel this great about themselves? The words are perfect, and the illustrations--well, I think they should win an award, yes, still, two years after publication. The tie-ins of self-image, self-esteem and nature are just impeccable.

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Feb 12, 2009

Debrarian rated it:

Gorgeous, lush portraits of children (with berries), their skin in many hues. The poems were fine but didn't seduce me, although I liked their celebration of heritage and color and the way they radiated a sense of pleasure in being oneself.

2009 Coretta Scott King Honor book
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/emiert/...

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Jul 15, 2010

Q_Donna rated it:

It took a second look at this book for me to truly understand what the writer and illustrator were saying. What a lovely demonstration of the many diffeent hues of African Americans and how we deal with our differences. Too bad this book wasn't around when I was growing up. So often I was called'black' and felt ashamed of it. So often I wished that my skin was a little lighter so that I could feel better about myself and be accepted by more priviledged people. the poetry in this book makes More...

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Aug 03, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

Some "black/brown is beautiful" books are rather artificial and a stretch. This, on the other hand, is a brilliant evocation of the many varities of color found among African Americans, from very dark, to "yellow," to very light/nearly white skin and different varieties of hair. A real winner. Children's poetry.

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Mar 11, 2009

Candida rated it:

2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner &
2009 Coretta Scott King Author Honor
This was a beautiful poetry book. The poems are all about being a person of color and how beautiful it is to be of all different colors. The illustrations were excellent and full of joy.

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Mar 14, 2010

Ch_wesley rated it:

This marvelous book of inspirational poems discusses the varying hues of African American children. It proudly pinpoints their individual greatness in a way that elevates an inspires. Children of all colors will find a poem that fits their unique shade of loveliness.

3 comments like

Jan 26, 2009

Gwen the Librarian rated it:

This gorgeous poetry picture book celebrates all different shades of African American skin and compares it to berries, toast, and sunshine. I read this on Saturday and was pleased to see it win honors from the Coretta Scott King awards committee this morning.

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Sep 17, 2011

Cherie rated it:

Genre: Poetry
Copyright: 2008
Thoughts: Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. Wonderful set of poems about different skin tones (raspberry black, biscuit brown, snowberries, etc). Very lyrical and expressive. Outstanding illustrations.

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Jul 28, 2009

Edna rated it:

Years ago "Celebrate the differences" became a well-known statement acknowledging that we humans come in all different packages. These beautiful, but simple poems celebrate the different shades of our African-American children. A must read!

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Apr 18, 2011

Eileen rated it:

Poems convey the beauty of the African American race and the many forms that beauty can take. Differences in the African American poetry parallel illlustrations that portray many shades of black, each beautiful in its own way.

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Feb 04, 2011

Charles rated it:

Each page is a poem that connects being African-American to the theme "The blacker the berry the sweater the juice." Beautiful watercolors of children playing and enjoying life accent these wonderful examples of poetic metaphor.

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