BLACK ARTISTS ROCK!

Debut author/illustrator Reese’s alphabet picture book highlights Black artists, including painters, singers, musicians, photographers, dancers, and writers.

This beautiful abecedarian features 26 profoundly accomplished creatives, and although the book is specifically crafted for children, adults won’t want to miss out on it. Using the first or last names of subjects to represent each letter, Reese captures her notable subjects with brief, informative biographical notes as well as dynamic free-form poetry. The letter F represents Ella Fitzgerald: “Scatting bouncy song-bird notes / Full of light with hop-scotch perfection.” L is for modernist painter and muralist Jacob Lawrence: “Narrating African American migration, / Through a sharp and jagged history.” Vocalist, musician, and civil rights activist Nina Simone (N) is described in the text as an “African goddess of ocean-blue songs / A roaring voice of change and revolution.” Reese cleverly solves the X dilemma with “X is for 2 times the talent,” referring to the Nicholas Brothers, a famed tap-dancing duo. The book’s vivid illustrations mix abstract art, cartoons, line drawings, and other representational styles with images of objects and designs (books, a paint palette, pencils, and so on) that reflect the practices and spirits of those profiled.

A dynamic celebration with all-ages appeal.