Wonders

by Effie Lee Newsome, Rudine Sims Bishop (Compiler), Lois Mailou Jones (Illustrator)

Effie Lee Newsome was a pioneer in children's literature. She was possibly the first African American poet whose body of work consisted primarily of poems for children. A number of her poems appeared in The Brownies' Book, the magazine published by W.E.B. DuBois. Later, she wrote a children's column, "The Little Page," for The Crisis, the official magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Until now, Effie Lee Newsome's poems were available only in a hard-to-find collection titled Gladiola Garden, published in 1940. This new volume, which includes poems from Gladiola Garden, The Brownies' Book, and "The Little Page," reintroduces Effie Lee Newsome and the spirit of her work to a new generation of children.

Genres: Poetry, African American

40 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this collection of Newsome's poetry. It doesn't have quite the coherent feel that Gladiola Garden does, but it's much easier to find.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The combination of art and poetry is what makes this one sing. It's old...it looks even older than it is...and sadly won't have a ton of kid appeal even for kids who can find it but it's one of those books that I'm glad exists because these are creators whose work is worth preserving.