i see the rhythm

i see the rhythm
Paintings by Michele Wood
Text by Toyomi Igus
Corretta Scott King Illustrator Award 1999

This book depicts the history of African American music from the 1500s to the 1990s through paintings, a timeline, and poetry. This book uses vibrant illustrations in conjunction with both poetic and song verse text to show the timeline of African American musical history - starting with its origins in Africa, and continuing chronologically with slave songs, blues, ragtime, jazz, swing, bebop, cool jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues/soul, black rock, funk, and ending with rap/hip hop.

I really enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. I especially enjoyed how the author combined a timeline of notable events of both African American history such as when activist Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man and African American music history such as the creation of the gospel music concert circuit. The paintings were very vivid and detailed and the words (including not only what they had to say but how they were placed on the page) paralleled the artists meaning behind her work. Each page starts out with the words, “I see the rhythm of …” that reflect exactly the same rhythm the accompanying picture shows. For example, on the pages that depict the rhythm of gospel, the words (I see the rhythm of gospel) mimic the arched shape of the stain glass window that Michele Wood paints to represent gospel music.

My positive response to this book is due to the fact that even though I am aware of a lot of different types of music, I have never studied the history behind it. This book was very enlightening to me.

This is Michele Wood and Toyomi Igus second collaboration. Their first book was Going Back Home. The illustrations for both books are similar, but the text is not. In Going Back Home, the author is telling the story of the painter returning to her family’s roots of the South. They are both historical books, but in i see the rhythm the history is tied to national events and dates.

I learned from reading this book that children’s literature can depict history accurately and with emotion through powerful illustrations.