Beautiful Blackbird- A Book Review for Children's Lit

         

     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bryan, Ashley. 2003. BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD. New York, NY: Atheneum. ISBN 0689847319

PLOT SUMMARY

All of the birds in Africa hold a meeting to determine which bird is the most beautiful.  Without hesitation, all of the birds determine that it is Blackbird.  Blackbird then agrees to give some of his black color to all of the other birds.  He mixes blackening brew in his gourd and gives every bird some black, but he tells them all the while that “I’ll be me and you’ll be you.” The story ends with all the birds singing that “black is beautiful.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is one of the most eye-opening and glorious books I have ever read in my life.  The theme of this selection, to be yourself, is one of the most important lessons I teach my students.  And in complete honesty, I am a white lady teaching mostly non-white students.  I needed this book. I needed something that I can share with my diverse students that shows value and beauty in a different culture than what I know.  This story has crossed me over into a journey of discovery and realization that I must do more for my students.

In this myth, BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD, Bryan masterfully carries out the oral tradition of the Ila-speaking people of Zambia. He is true to the root culture of his tale with the dance, the shaman, and the diction choices he makes. His story has a rhythmic, musical quality that begs to be read out loud. When you read, “uh-huh, Blackbird, too,” you can’t help but speak the words aloud.  He also uses onomatopoeia, alliteration, and rhyme to convey the oral tradition of his tale with such phrases as “flip-flop-flapping” and “whirring, stirring.”

The illustrations in this book are actually cut outs of colored paper created by the author.  They are simple, colorful alive, and full of movement and shape. They complement the words of the story and show the energy and vibrancy of the action.

This myth does explain where the birds got their black coloring from, but more importantly, the main theme that “black is beautiful” is impossible to miss. Bryan also has themes of individuality, “color on the outside is not what’s on the inside” and the importance of culture, “my black roots,” as well.  Bryan writes, “It is important to affirm our ancestry, to learn about our people while learning about others” (Vardell 95). In this story, he accomplishes this very thing.  

AWARDS AND REVIEWS

*Coretta Scott King Award Winner

*2x2 Book List

*Publishers Weekly: “Bryan’s lilting and magical language is infectious.”

*School Library Journal: “This unusual and little-known pourquoi tale… serves as a thoughtful and entertaining addition to units on self-esteem.”

*Booklist: “In this simple adaptation… the message is clear: “Black is Beautiful… Ready-made for participative storytelling.”

CONNECTIONS

*Students can find Africa on a map or a globe.

*Students can dance the Show Claw Slide like the birds in the story do (http://www.kalimba.co.za/)

*For a writing assignment, have each child pretend to be a bird and write about what color they would be and why.

*An art project where students cut out and use colorful shapes to make a scene.

*This story would be wonderful to have a professional storyteller come read.

*A reader’s theater with all the students participating; or a dramatization where each student gets a simple prop for their “bird” character.

*Students can each write a retelling of a tale from their own unique (religious, ethnic, racial) background.

Images taken from: https://www.google.com/search?q=beautiful+blackbird&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOlL7MiqrWAhVm6IMKHVPuCKgQ_AUICygC&biw=1254&bih=527#imgrc=SK1PnIVCVMTXtM: