The Entrance Place of Wonders: Poems of the Harlem Renaissance
Grade 2-6–Twenty poems written during the Harlem Renaissance are perfectly paired with exuberant oil paintings. Familiar poets such as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, and Claude McKay are joined by less immediately recognized names such as Effie Lee Newsome, Dorothy Vena Johnson, and Gladys May Caseley-Hayford. Their collective work, firmly grounded in this exciting explosion of African-American culture, affirms the joy of life and of personal growth and discovery. Madeline G. Allisons Children of the Sun reminds youngsters that God in his Wisdom gave you hue/Of which Hes proud–yes, proud of you! Some selections brim with hope, such as Langston Hughess To You. To dream of vast horizons of the soul/Through dreams made whole,/Unfettered free–help me! and Georgia Douglas Johnsons Your World, which is as big as you make it. Riley-Webbs vibrant, colorful illustrations employ a swirling contemporary realism in their joyful depictions of children exploring and interacting with their world. An introduction about the Harlem Renaissance is followed by brief biographical entries on the poets. Whether shared as a read-aloud to early elementary students or enjoyed individually by older readers, this collection provides delightful interaction with winsome words and images that will enhance poetry curricula and charm its perusers. Nikki GiovannisShimmy Shimmy Shimmy Like My Sister Kate: Looking at the Harlem Renaissance through Poems(Holt, 1996) is aimed at a middle/high school audience and includes more social commentary.–Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KSCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.