Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea: A Beautiful Poetry Picture Book About African American Heritage for Children

by Joyce Carol Thomas, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

An illustrated collection of poetry from the National Book Award-winning author of Marked by Fire celebrates family, individuality, and the African-American tradition in verses that honor the past, love the present, and dream of the future.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, African American, Family, Tea, Nonfiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Joyce Carol Thomas was an internationally renowned author who received the National Book Award for her first novel, Marked By Fire, and a Coretta Scott King Honor for her first picture book, Brown Honey In Broomwheat Tea. Her other titles include I Have Heard Of A Land, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book; The Gospel Cinderella; cCrowning Glory; Gingerbread Days; and A Gathering Of Flowers. Ms. Thomas lived in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

[Jessaka · Rating 3 out of 5]

African American poetry. Short and sweet.

Broomwheat tea
Good for what ails you,
especially when poured
by loving hands.

[Julia971 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice poems and superb drawings"

"As you would cherish a thing of beauty
Cherish me..."

[Shacora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry

This book is a collection of poems, told from the perspective of a growing African American little girl. With the complexity of the poems, I would recommend for grades 4-5. The poems in the book lend themselves to many different topics. After learning the features of poetry and how it is written, students could analyze the poems and determine what the author is saying. They could express their interpretations of the text, as sometimes in poetry people get slightly different meanings based on their own experiences. Students could also determine the meaning of certain words and phrases to build a deeper understanding of the text. There is a lot of figurative language that they would need to get through to really understand the meaning. This would also be a great place to discuss culture and tradition and compare to student's individual cultures. They will find many similarities. They will also probably learn something new about African American culture that they didn't know before.


Awards:
1994 Coretta Scott King Book Awards

[Alaina Rushing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I was expecting when I chose to read this book as a Coretta Scott King honor book. It has an amazing collection of pictures that perfectly illustrate the text. This book could be used in the classroom in many ways. For example, it could be used in a poetry lesson, but it could also be used for a lesson to teach about African American (black) culture.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short poems, nice illustrations. I especially liked "Cherish Me" and "Hide me in the Cradle of Your Love".

[Children's Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to write poems for children, in general, but it is even harder to write lyrical poems for children in a collection with one leading topic therefore this collection is what it is... some poems are better than others.

It has been said that poetry collections with one topic/theme sell better than the ones full of random selection, perhaps that's why Thomas does it this way, but I find many poems too weak to be included, even though the topic is right for each themed collection.

Thomas's poems however are normally accompanied by splendid illustrations that elevate her poetry books to 3 or 4 stars.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of poems by Joyce Carol Thomas centered around a young African American girl and her family, accompanied by illustrations by Floyd Cooper. A lovely poetry collection that celebrates black girlhood.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, thoughtful poems full of meaning about family and family roots. Gorgeous illustrations.

[Dorothy Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea is a book of poetry to read and reread. I enjoy the poems more each time I read them. The book is also beautifully illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't particularly excited about the poems, but the illustrations are amazing. I want to read more books that Floyd Cooper has illustrated.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent poems. Decent illustrations. The tie-in at the end really brings the collection together and makes the collection stronger than any one poem individually.

[Lindiwe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a comforting collection of poems. I enjoyed them all but my favorites are Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea, Sisters and Hide Me in the Cradle of Your Love.

[Emily Ntovas · Rating 3 out of 5]

#16 This book did not have tons of words but would be great for a lesson about figurative language. The illustrations were beautiful and the colors matched the tone of the story.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a warm and beautiful collection of poems with a child's voice. It begins with 'Cherish Me' which speaks of her beauty and asks that we cherish her. The second poem shows how her family does cherish her, but shares her parents warning that there are those in the world who would do harm to "children kissed long by the sun" and so she is wary.

The collection is about self, family and tea is a common theme running throughout.

[Janet Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multiple award-winning author, poet, and playwright, Joyce Carol Thomas offers readers this lovely gem of a book. Twelve lyrical poems share a glimpse of the African American home and family distilled by Thomas into thoughtful word pictures that are rich with emotional content.

"Cherish Me" is one of my favorites.

Cooper's warm palette lend the illustrations a lush sense of time and place.

[Kiesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is composed of 12 lyrical poems that explore one girl's experiences as an African American. Floyd Cooper's warm and inspired illustrations bring the poems to life. Perfect for grades K through 3rd grade.
Teacher Tip: Use this book to explore themes such as, family, Individuality and pride of Heritage with your students.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has depth and a grounded voice. The illustrations present very real, snapshot moments of a close family while addressing the joys and realities of being African American. I would read this with a child as some concepts might need context, but is still accessible.

[Ashlee Gibson]

Great poetry book with vibrant pictures. Great book to read around Black History Month.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 72437 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 4.2 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poems about a little girl and her experiences as an African-American.

[Abby Huhe]

This book contained many poems about the life of an African American. It addressed the issues during their lives. My favorite was Mama.

[Amanda B · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read around 2005, re-read in 2016. A beautiful collaboration between poet Joyce Carol Thomas and illustrator Floyd Cooper. Powerful, melancholy, hopeful, haunting, and altogether inspiring.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely poetry. Easy to read again and again and get different pictures in your mind. The last two were my favorites.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

1994 CSKing Author Honor
1994 CSKing Illustrator Honor