Friday, February 24, 2012

Never Forgotten

Never Forgotten. Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. 2011. Random House. 48 pages.

Never Forgotten by Patricia C. McKissack won a 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Honor. It is a picture book for older readers, a collection of poems focused on the slavery experience from Africa to the Americas. While the book addresses, in a way, slavery as a whole, it is also a personal narrative in that it focuses on one young man--taken from his family, his community. The book has folklore elements to it as well, as several of the poems are narrated by wind, water, fire, etc.

I definitely liked the text more than the artwork, but that is just me. (Judging illustrations is so subjective--or it seems that way to me.) I liked the personal aspect to it--tracing the loss in his family, in his community. The always-wanting, always-missing, always-wondering aspect of it. This one is more a story about those left behind. So it is unique, in my opinion.

Read Never Forgotten
  • If you're a fan of poetry
  • If you're a fan of multicultural poetry
  • If you're looking to read Coretta Scott King winners/honors
  • If you're a fan of folklore
© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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