Jump at the Sun: An African American Picture Book Collection
Ages 3-8. This anthology binds together seven picture books previously published by Jump at the Sun. The range is wide--a biography of Willie Mays, a scary ghost story, a meditation about prayer--and the illustrations vary from watercolor, scratchboard, and collage to computer-generated art. The artists include lesser-knowns as well as established award winners such as Floyd Cooper (who illustrates Monalisa DeGross'Grandaddy's Street Songs), Brian Pinkney (who illustrates Andrea Davis Pinkney'sAlvin Ailey), and Bryan Collier (who illustrates Hope Lynne Price'sThese Hands). Of course, when picture books are bound together into one heavy volume, the book jackets, endpapers, and some page designs are lost or changed. What's more, in this case, the tight book binding makes it hard to see all of the double-page-spread art. Still, for small collections and family sharing, this is an inexpensive introduction to some great storytellers.Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved