This Little Light of Mine
PreSchool-Grade 3–A visual interpretation of an African-American spiritual. It is morning when the book opens, and readers are greeted by a smiling boy. Throughout the day, he spreads his own special brand of joy wherever he goes. He gives a hug to a grandmotherly figure cooking in the kitchen, then goes for a walk, pausing to wave at a neighbor sitting on a porch. Next, he helps a woman whose groceries have fallen to the ground. He high-fives three elderly men sitting outside, and comes across a downcast boy whom he invites to join him to meet friends and play. When he returns home, he sits down to a family meal. The last illustration is of a darkened house with a light glowing from one of the windows upstairs. Lewis's watercolor illustrations across double pages effectively convey emotions of happiness and the giving and sharing of oneself. Compare and contrast this satisfying interpretation with Raffi's adaptation of the same title (Knopf, 2004).–Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH