Title | : | Ellington Was Not a Street |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 0689828845 |
ISBN-10 | : | 9780689828843 |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Hardcover |
Number of Pages | : | 40 |
Publication | : | First published January 6, 2004 |
Awards | : | Once Upon A World Children’s Book Award (2005), Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator (2005) |
Yet in the face of this tremendous adversity, these dedicated souls and others like them not only demonstrated the importance of Black culture in America, but also helped issue in a movement that changed the world. Their lives and their works inspire us to this day and serve as a guide to how we approach the challenges of tomorrow.
Ellington Was Not a Street Reviews
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A picture book by the poet Ntozake Shange, beautifully illustrated by Kadir Nelson in part about Duke Ellington, but more broadly about a time in which segregation was more rigidly enforced by skin color. Trust me, I live in segregated Chicago, near segregated Milwaukee, and whatever work to de-segregate schools and housing has largely been undone. But this is in part a memoir for Shange—I was there!—during what was (perhaps) a harder time to be black in America than now, and what could be forged in that isolation, often powerful, such as the music of Ellington.
As she says, “DuBois walked up my father’s stairs” (!! Imagine that!)
“Politics as necessary as collards
Music even in our dreams.”
This is really a book celebrating African American men—she grew up in “the company of men”---such as Paul Robeson, Dizzy Gillespie, Honey Bear Akins, The Clovers.
Duke’s “Mood Indigo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GohBk...
Shange’s Mood Indigo poem, dedicated to Duke, the first part of a trilogy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iar7q... -
I've become a huge fan of Kadir Nelson's wonderful breadth of work and his illustrations here are as expressive, moving and beautiful as ever! Just see if you can resist checking out the book after you take a look at that little girl's expression the cover...!!! ;-)
As for the book itself, I'm not sure it really worked for me as a picture book though I appreciate the intent behind it. The text is actually a poem by the well-respected author Ntozake Shange (it wasn't written for a picture book but written as a poem and later turned into the picture book) the little girl you see on the cover is Ntozake herself, and the story/poem is about all the famous and inspiring men who came to her father's house when she was little from musicians to authors to politicians and all striving for racial equality. Wow, what an amazing childhood she must have had! The poem is printed in its original form in the back of the book and I found it more powerful to read that way than in the way it was broken up for the picture book side of things. Also, I am sorry to say that, while I recognized some of the famous figures, there were several men I did not recognize and I actually reread the "story" again after I read the brief bios in the back of the book; it made more sense and was more powerful that way.
But, really, I am not sure how much children would get out of this book. I found myself lost at times and not really connecting to the figures because there is so little said about them and I didn't really know who some of them were so I think it will be a bit vague for most youngsters. That said, it is still worth while to introduce them to the fine poetry and beautiful artwork and it can be a good jumping off point for discussion about some of these inspiring figures like Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois, Ray Barretto, Dizzy Gillespie, "Sonny Til" Tilghman, Kwame Nkrumah, and Duke Ellington. -
This book’s cover illustration compelled me to borrow it from the library without knowing anything about it. So, it’s a poem story. The entire poem is on a single page at the end. The “story” has one line from the poem on each illustrated page. The illustrations are lovely. I never really warmed to the story. While it is interesting and inspirational, I was not wowed. Perhaps it was partly because the main character (the author?!) is a very little girl, and she’s relating all these African-American influential men who populated her family’s house when she was young. All men. If that’s the way it was, yes, it’s impressive. And I liked the biographical blurbs about these men that are included in the back of the book. They are Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois, Ray Barretto, Earlington Carl “Sonny Til” Tilghman, Dizzy Gillespie, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Duke Ellington, Virgil “Honey Bear” Akins, and The Clovers. I’d have welcomed a woman or two or three though. But the cover illustration, the illustrations, and the straight non-fiction biographical information about the men covered were my favorite parts of the book. I am not a huge fan of the poem. Oh, and the title; I do love the book’s title.
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Ellington is not a Street is a picture book written by Ntozke Shange and illustrated beautifully by Kadir Nelson. It was the 2005 recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. The book uses the poem Mood Indigo to tell the story from the point of view of a young girl as many influential African American men visit her father at their home. Some of the visitors are Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois, and Dizzy Gillespie. Accompanying the story are beautiful illustration by Nelson, which breathe life into the characters, the details are so well done that the reader can see emotions on the faces on the pages. At the end of the book is the poem in its entirety, as well as short biographies on the famous African Americans included in the story.
Along with the book, I checked out the Scholastic DVD version. I found it to add a new dimension to the story. Behind the narration of the story, soft jazz plays, and the illustrations are just a vivid as they are on the pages of the book. This is a versatile picture book that could be used with younger students, but I plan on using it with the DVD with my seventh grade Language Arts students. Included in the DVD is a menu option for the biographies of the African Americans mentioned in the book. Along with the short biographies are photographs and music. I found it to add more information to the picture book, and it would be a great source to use during Black History month. I am teaching biographies and plan on using this to spark interest in my students by using the DVD to introduce some of these famous names. -
This book felt like being a fly on the wall of a gathering. You weren't invited, but they would never turn you away. Shange's work is powerful and heavy. I love the way she reminds us that the great men of Black History where indeed men. They lived their lives just like the rest of us.
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Gorgeous. Great poem that is important enough to be brought to a much larger audience... the picture-book format is almost perfect for it. I hope it will inspire everyone, not just young black boys, to emulate these great men. I wish that there were more bios... there were more people in the last group portrait, including some women, but I have no idea who they are.
"politics as necessary as collards" -
Ntozake Shange’s Ellington Was Not a Street is a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner ,and it is certainly easy to see why. Kadir Nelson’s double page illustrations are striking, and instantly evoke the time period as well as the different looks and personalities of the men mentioned in the book. The portraits of Robeson and DuBois, as they sat on the couch sipping tea, next to a sleeping girl covered in a man’s overcoat, exuded dignity and gravitas coupled with paternal sensitivity; it’s my favorite illustration in the book.
The text, however, was not so easy to grasp.
The first line of says, “it hasn’t always been this way, Ellington was not a street.” The book continues to name a number of influential African American men from the worlds of music, sports, politics and education who gathered at the author’s house when she was a child. These men, through their works and vision in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, laid the foundation for the civil rights movement in the 1960’s.
My husband and I debated the meaning that first line. I was troubled by it, he found it to be a nod towards progress and felt that Shange was celebrating the advancements of the civil rights movement. He thought Shange was saying hat Ellington, in his day, would never have dreamed that a street in a major city would be named for an African American man.
I thought Shange was saying that in the early days of the civil rights movement the men she refers to were leaders who walked among average people, that discussions about politics and culture were part of daily life for African Americans, that everyone was involved in the outcome, that Ellington and DuBois were vibrant and powerful men, not old men, abstract ideas or history lessons. I felt that Shange preferred the way that all adults seemed involved and focused on progressing the civil rights of African Americans, and regretted that Ellington was now a street name, disconnected from the energy and contributions of the man. I felt that Shange was asking where today’s African American leaders are, and why does it seem that people are not culturally or politically involved to the extent they used to be. (I noted that the book was written before Obama’s presidential candidacy). -
This review was originally written for
The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is Ellington Was Not A Street, written by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, a beautiful look through a child’s eyes at the men who make history in the time before they do, when they are simply men.
Using flowing free verse without punctuation or capitalization, the spare text of Shange’s poem “Mood Indigo” accompanies Nelson’s detailed paintings to tell a narrative. It begins with a shot of “Ellington Street” in an unnamed city, with the text immediately reminding the reader that “it hasnt always been this way/ ellington was not a street”. From there, it tells the story of a little girl welcoming her father at the door and watching as a group of black luminaries (DuBois, Robeson, Gillespie, Nkrumah, etc.) gathers in her home to meet, dine, and throw parties with the girl’s family.
Based on the author’s childhood home – where several great black musicians and leaders would often gather when she was a child – this is a fantastic book on several levels. With an appendix that highlights each man’s impact and rich, lifelike art that brings their conversations to life, it serves as a wonderful way to introduce these historic black figures to young readers, especially in an age when many of them are remembered only for their last names on street signs, awards or plaques. It also reminds children that these great heroes of music and civil rights were also simply men with families, friends, and children. It both highlights and humanizes them, making them all the more fascinating to learn about. The art is stunning, with a warm and inviting quality that draws you into the home the story is based around. The length is great, and JJ and I both enjoyed it. Baby Bookworm approved! -
Ellington Was Not a Street, by Ntozake Shange, is a unique tribute to various African American men who have made a difference over the years. In the story, incorporates inspirational men from Dr. Kwame Kkrumah, the President of Ghana, to John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie. An adorable little girl brings us into her home as she remembers these influential men of her childhood. We feel the love she has for her father and can identify the important impact that these famous men had on her life; how they were able to "change the world."
I was extremely impressed by this book. I thought that the images by Kadir Nelson were warm and inviting. They helped me to feel the fondness and importance of the main characters childhood memories. I also thought that the book was a wonderful way to introduce African American culture to children from various cultural backgrounds. In the end of the book, there are two pages discussing each of the men mentioned in the story. If I were teaching this book to my class, I think that this insert would be incredibly useful in terms of introducing my students to names that they may never have heard before. It is no wonder why Ellington Was Not a Street is a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award! -
"Ellington Was Not a Street" is a fantastic story that gives the reader a snapshot into the home of Duke Ellington through the eyes of his daughter. This Coretta Scott King Award winning book, is a reflective tribute where Duke Ellington's daughter reminds us that Ellington street was more than a street named after a famous musician but that their home was the meeting ground for the innovators and thinkers of that time. In poetic prose she using history and culture to bring these men of vision to life. Supported by the brilliant and intricate illustrations by Kadir Nelson the reader feels that are there with these people discussing the serious issues of the time such as where they could live, what schools their children could attend, and even where they could sit on a bus or in a movie theater. This would be an excellent book to use in the primary grades for introducing these historical figures to students as well as teaching about the history and culture of African Americans of that time period.
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The illustrations are just as beautiful and expressive as Kadir Nelson's other work. He is one of my favorite artists.
The edition I had included a CD with the author reading the poem. It's a wonderful poem and she must have had such an amazing childhood mingling with all these great men who left a mark on the world.
However, unless you know who the men are, the book/poem will not make a lot of sense. It does include brief bios of each man at the end, which helps, but I would have preferred a more typical approach with more text, more information given about each man as they appeared, perhaps some stories of her encounters with them...and then the inclusion of the poem at the end. (Or even the beginning.). Some of these figures I had heard of and others I hadn't so the text just didn't give me enough information to fully understand the meaning of the poem. -
A little girl recalls the influential men who came by her house as a child and the strength and difference they made with their lives.
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I read this at work yesterday, and it is A. a beautiful and interesting children's book; and B. ASTONISHINGLY, marvelously illustrated.
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I really love this book, but reading it a younger audience would be tricky in my opinion. Nelson’s illustrations were captivating and captured expressions and tone. The detail that he put in the curtains, the paintings on the wall, and the texture of the little girl are undeniable. The message of the oppressive life of the little girl is the theme of the book, but it is also captured the strength of love from their community. Within the beginning of the pages the illustrator draws only a couple of people per page, but as the story continues the book ends with their community singing and celebrating their strength together. Although I believe this to be a great text and a wonderful work of art, it is hard for me to believe that this would be a good text for elementary school students.
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"Ellington Was Not a Street" by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is a multicultural picture book about the men in history that helped African American people become accepted in the society, promote civil rights and serve as role models for younger Black people. The book is told from from the point of view of a young girl who grew up around men that changed the world. There is only one line on each page next to a large illustration on a single or double page spread. By the end of the story, all of the lines come together in a poem, and the reader realizes that this book is a poem called "Mood Indigo" and each line of the poem is separated onto individual pages. Thus, each line of the poem is fully illustrated. The poem starts off with talking about the past stating that it "hasn't always been this way", meaning that the social change and equity African Americans are getting today was not a thing in the past. In the book jacket, the reader learns that the illustrator,"lived in a time when the color of their skin dictated where they could live, what schools they could attend" and so on. The theme of the poem is that things changed for the better because "it hasnt always been like this". The poem describes famous African American visionaries and talented muscians such as W.E.B Dubois, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and Paul Robeson, The Clovers, and Ray Barreto. The tone of the poem is appreciation and surprise as the little girl in the images watches these men at work trying to create a better world. Further, the poem is written as if the girl is no longer little anymore, and she's looking back into the past remembering the great men that made contributions to her race, her life and society as a whole. I highly recommend this poetic picture book because it appeals to all ages. I give it five stars because the large text and big illustrations work well for young children, and the complex poetry and references to people in history, will appeal to all adults as well.
This book is high quality children's literature because of the construction of the story, the literary text and the way the illustrations provide a lot more meaning to the poem. "Ellington Was Not a Street" is a book where you have to reread to put the grasp the concept of the poem and the narration. This picture book is constructed similar to a puzzle, where you have to put information together to find out the big picture. I did not realize this was actually a poem until the end, when there is a whole page just on the poem, where every line on each page is created to fit into verses. The literary text is complex and requires the reader to think and guess what each line might mean. For example, the line that says, "why Ray Barretto used to be a side-man and dizzy's hair was not always grey" requires the reader to think who these men are and possibly do research on their lives to understand what the author meant by this. The images in this story show that a little girl is peeking in on the talks and lives of these men, although the text never mentions it. The only reference to the little girl is the line "our doors opened like our daddy's arms" which is comparing the opportunities these famous men gave her later on in life to the accessibility she had to to go hug her dad. Sometimes the girl is sitting on the men's lap, but most often she is just in the background of the pictures. Thus, the illustrations make this book picture book high quality because they give the reader so much more information about the past and present, and who might be the speaker of this poem. I think this book would be great for teaching about African American people in history or social studies. You could have each child or group of students choose one of the names to research and do a biography project about these men and present their projects. Then, you could reread this book and ask the students if how much more they comprehend the book after studying the lives of these famous men. The only thing to improve in this story is to describe the African American women that made change, because their is no mention of them in the book. Still, this is a great story for introducing poetry, and African American history and literature. -
The narrative of Ellington Was Not a Street comes from Ntozake Shange’s poem “Mood Indigo” (from A Daughter’s Geography, 1983). The poem, excerpted for the picture book, is a reflection of and tribute to a legacy of African American innovator, a “company of men” “who changed the world.” It is a personal poem of a young Shange (nee Paulette Williams) whose home nurtured and was nurtured by this company of men.
Only such gorgeously wrought poem could withstand the company of Kadir Nelson’s illustrations. The images themselves (as Sean, an Artist, breathed “precise”) have a precision a poet, too, would recognize.
You may want to read with some kind of liquid precision the first time through, caught in a rhythm of the words, but plan the time to linger again and again on an image, a deeply impactful moment Shange and Nelson have crafted. It took me a stretch of time to pull away from the cover, then from the portrait facing the title page (‘piano’ image above). I was drawn to circle
our house was filled with all kinda folks
our windows were not cement or steel
our doors opened like our daddy’s arms
held us safe & loved
As the narrative acknowledges the simultaneity of then and now, the illustrations move back and forth in time between the streetscape whether the narrator reminisces and her childhood home. Her home is quiet, interior, full of warm patterns. The street is busy with a different sort of liveliness, other textures that are met with rain. The narrator holds a red umbrella amongst the institutionalized black, a “Don’t Walk” sign flashing at the intersection.
Our narrator, she is small in the presence of the company, her and her brother, and she is small in this house (another of her surroundings), but she is without question present, never forgotten, and cherished (e.g. a man’s suit jacket draped over her as a blanket as she sleeps on the couch).
The images are real, not abstracted. The poem is hardly abstract, but an illustrator could have reinterpreted the narrative into something more ephemeral. The detail in the setting, the verisimilitude of the portrait, the inclusion of a group sitting for a ‘photograph,’ these establish the very real and tangible existence of the life/lives represented.
Ellington Was Not a Street includes two pages of biographies using excerpted images from the narrative, “More About a Few of the Men ‘Who Changed the World’:” (I will list them as the book does) : Paul Robeson, William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) DuBois, Ray Barretto, Earlington Carl “Sonny Til” Tilghman, John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, Virgil “Honey Bear” Akins, The Clovers.
The endpage at the close shares narrative the in its stanzaic form of “Mood Indigo.” Of course “Mood Indigo” is also a musical composition by Duke Ellington, so exquisitely observed on the vinyl held by our narrator on the cover: the record, an RCA Victor special of Mood Indigo by Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra. I have a YouTube option, undoubtedly a lesser quality, if you are interested.
Do I really have to say it? You really must find a copy of Ellington Was Not a Street.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20... -
As a perused the juvenile section at the USF Tampa Library I was instantly taken aback by Kadir Nelson's illustrations in Ntoozake Shange's (1983) book, "Ellington was not a Street.” The book is about seven inches tall and five inches wide with an all green background. Centered in the middle of the cover is a little African American girl holding a record titled "Mood Indigo" by Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra. I became intrigued immediately so I grabbed the book and began reading it while standing in between the stacks. (Please go here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/06898... to see some of the book's illustrations.)
According to the article "Multicultural Children's Literature in the Elementary Classroom" (1998), "Ellington is Not a Street" is the model elementary children's book for several reasons. It represents how this child recognizes the transition from bigotry to equality in America. It cleverly introduces particular African American freedom-fighters such as W.E.B. Dubois, who “hummed some tune over me” and Ray Barretto who “used to be a side-man.” The little girl describes her experience as “sleeping in the company of men who changed the world.” At the end of the book, there are two pages dedicated to explaining each of the famous people mentioned within its context. This book is special because it is nonfiction and since it is very aesthetically pleasing, a child will be interested in reading its contents. Through the illustrious illustrations, a history lesson becomes a magical journey into the mind of a little African American girl.
However, the narrator is obviously not the little girl, but a woman now reflecting back on a time when “politics as necessary as collards.” While the child/woman does mention specific “African American” traits, they are culturally represented, not stereotypically. This little girl, now woman, knew she was being looked at, but was and still is proud of her household since “our windows were not cement or steel.” According to Locke’s (1998) theory on African American “sociopolitical factors,” this book represents the “sociopolitical” success of the civil-rights movement. It especially does since the transition in American history is properly, but also uniquely revealed.
I recommend this book to any librarian that is seeking a beautiful book that reflects upon the cultural values, history, politics and feelings of the African American child.
Locke, D.C. (1998). Increasing multicultural understanding. Sage Publications, Inc: Thousand Oaks.
Lu, M. (1998). Multicultural children's literature in the elementary classroom. Eric digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading English and Communication Bloomington IN.
http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-2/lit...
Shange, N., Nelson, K. (1983). Ellington was not a street. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division: New York. -
This book is about a woman reminiscing her time growing up as a child around great men who would someday change the world. She remembers these men before they had fully become what they may, when they were still young, many still aspiring for their dreams and fighting for their goals. Together, they all forged a community and ultimately a family, and they, along with many others, frequently gathered under her very own roof. The illustrations in this book are warm, soft, and intimate exuding the idea of closeness and unity. The woman telling the story is illustrated with a blue jacket on as she walks past Ellington St., but as she reminisces the illustrations depict a petite young girl who is similarly wearing a blue dress. The scenes portrayed in the illustrations are very homey, with touches of things like rose curtains, coffee tables, mantles with photographs, and antique couches. In the illustrations, the men’s frames and masculinity tower over her as a little girl contrasting in comparison to her small, fragile, petite-like frame. Yet, the audience is aware that these men are like family through such illustrations as when they sit close in conversation next to her as she naps on the couch. The attention to detail is commendable, with even slight particulars of haircuts including small lines to indicate hairline parts included. Further, each man and woman throughout the book is illustrated with different clothes, hairstyles, and countenances giving individuality to each character pictured. Yet, with the homey touches, and warm colors, themes of close relationship and family are maintained. The major theme in the book is about remembering your history and the reality and significance of it. This would be a great book to use in the classroom during black history month to teach about black history. After reading the book, you might take more to time to explore the life of each of the different historical figures mentioned in the book.
Shange, N. (2004). Ellington Was Not a Street. Illus. K. Nelson. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books. -
Ellington Was Not A Street, written by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by Kadir Nelson gives history to Ntozake Shange’s childhood. Through lyrics to a song, written by Edward Ellington, a famous African American composer, bandleader, and pianist during segregational times, Shange is able to tell of the many important and historically impactful African American men who visited her home when she was young. This book contains many requirements to receiving a Coretta Scott King award. True to the description of the award, Ellington tells a greater story of African American struggle and the fight to end oppression. The nature of this book is one of happiness and life. The illustrations are colorful and highlight the innocence and bright character of the little girl, from whose perspective the story is told. Shading is used consistently to give definition and joyful facial expressions to the people occupying the pages. The importance of comradery and faithfulness to one another and the equality movement is shown in the way characters stand together and love on one another in groups throughout the illustrations. This book was a Coretta Scott King book award winner for obvious reasons. Woven into the text are the struggles, triumphs and courageous individuals that greatly contributed to the movement of equality for African Americans. The book is told from a child's perspective which helps children understand what is going on through segregational issues while giving adults an innocent outlook on the changes.
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Ages K-grade 3 (and on up)
(^^ That was the recommended age I found, but I'm not sure that it would work under 2nd grade because you'd have to do a lot of studying of the people mentioned in this book before reading it. Otherwise it makes no sense.)
I liked this one. Quite honestly, though, I wouldn't have recognized it as a poem if it hadn't been in the poetry section, so I'm really glad that this class is helping to stretch my recognition of what a poem is.
This is told in free verse, in a picture book format. The illustrations are wonderful. Each page is oil paintings with no white space. Every page mentions a famous African-American man, nearly all of whom were completely new to me. My favorite are the short biography paragraphs at the end of the book that explain who each of the men are.
As far as language, none of the language itself is stretching, but the entire book is very confusing if you don't know who these men are and realize that they are real people. This would be a great book to read during a unit where you are studying some of these men in history.
(Sidenote: I was totally blown away when my 9 year old saw the picture on the back cover and said, "Oh, that's Duke Ellington. He was a jazz musician." I asked if he'd read this book before, and he said no, they just studied some famous musicians in school the previous year and Duke Ellington was one of the musicians.) -
Ellington Was Not a Street
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
K-4th grade
The illustrations done by Kadir Nelson are realistic and look like paintings. Nelson captures details in clothing and facial expression while using soft lines and an earthy color palette. Shange uses minimal text on each page that is enclosed in a box. The text is sparse, and the illustrations cover the full page. The illustrations look like family photographs capturing warm memories of social gatherings inside a home. The story tells the author’s memories of the various prominent figures in African-American history that made visits to her home such as “Robeson no mere memory” and “Du Bois walked up my father’s stairs.” This is a great book to use during African-American History month and can be used to teach children about various prominent figures in African American history.
Language Arts/Social Studies
This book can be used to introduce a lesson about prominent figures in African-American history. Students can be assigned a group project in which they gather information about one of the prominent people mentioned in the book and give a presentation on what that person’s contributions were in African-American history. -
Shange's Ellington Was Not a Street, is a picture book about historical greats in the black community, told through a child's eyes. The wonderfully illustrated pictures by Kadir Nelson and poetic words by Ntozake Shange is definitley a book geared towards older readers. Readers will have to bring a knowledge of prominent figures in African American society from the early 1900's til present. The rich and powerful representations of movement, facial expression, and mood provide the reader with an awareness of who these important men and women were and are. This is a story of change, of influential events and people that make our present what it is today. I love Kadir's illustrations, they always make the reader want to reach out and touch the characters or feel as if they're part of that moment. I would recommend this book to those that are interested in a short, yet powerful read about people that made a difference, all sewn together with remarkable illustrations.