Blackbird shares his gifts with the birds of Africa in this colorful read-aloud. This adaptation of an Ila story tells of long ago, when all the birds have solid colored, unpatterned feathers, and only Blackbird has any black at all. The other birds agree that Blackbird is the most beautiful, as his black feathers "gleam all colors in the sun." Blackbird mixes up a little something in his medicine gourd, and presents each bird with some black patterns of its own. The birds are happy with their new designs, and chorus, "Black is beautiful, UH-HUH." This telling, by the master storyteller, just aches to be read aloud; the lively rhythms keep the simple folktale rollicking along. The cut-paper collage illustrations are full of color, but it’s of blandly similar intensity until Blackbird arrives with his blackening brew. Then the newly patterned birds, gleaming in high-contrast images with their new designs, make for visual excitement as they praise Blackbird for their new look. A good start at challenging learned ways of reading color that reserve black for scary or dull images, the text implies a racial metaphor (unless the refrain "black is beautiful" is focused only on rethinking artistic codes), yet whatever message of tolerance or self-love the text might hold is obscure. Blackbird talks of the difference a little black can make, but he also emphasizes that external appearances do not reflect the inner self. Which of the two is more important is never clarified. Still, the rolling language and appealing illustrations make this a must. (Picture book/folktale. 4-7)
Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan adapted this charming tale from a story told by the Ilaspeaking people of Zambia. All the birds in the forest are jealous of Blackbird, whose black feathers glisten and shine colorfully in the sunbeams. The other birds are a single color from head to foot, and none of them have even a spot of black on their feathers. Blackbird tells them that true color is on the inside, but still the birds long for black feathers. So Blackbird brews a batch of blackening to decorate all his friends.
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Beautiful Blackbird
Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan adapted this charming tale from a story told by the Ilaspeaking people of Zambia. All the birds in the forest are jealous of Blackbird, whose black feathers glisten and shine colorfully in the sunbeams. The other birds are a single color from head to foot, and none of them have even a spot of black on their feathers. Blackbird tells them that true color is on the inside, but still the birds long for black feathers. So Blackbird brews a batch of blackening to decorate all his friends.
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940171084714 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
| Publication date: | 12/05/2007 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | Up to 4 Years |
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