The Sweet and Sour Animal Book (The ^AIona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature) - Hardcover

Hughes, Langston; Students From The Harlem School Of The Arts

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 019509185X ISBN 13: 9780195091854

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1994

Synopsis

Newt
Newt, newt
What can you be?

Just
A salamander, child.
That's me!

In 26 never-before-published short and wonderfully clever poems, Langston Hughes takes children through both the alphabet and the animal world. From Ape to Zebra--with bees, camels, fish, and even a unicorn in between--he paints a picture of each animal with just a few simple, but telling, words. Hughes also knows what makes children giggle:
What use
Is a goose
Except to quackle?

If a goose
Can't quackle
She's out of whackle.

The publication of a new manuscript by Langston Hughes is an important event in American literature. But when you add the fanciful three-dimensional animals built especially for this book by first and second graders from the Harlem School of the Arts, an introduction for children by entertainer and humanitarian Ben Vereen, and an afterword for older children and adults that delves into the work Hughes did for and with children, you have an instant classic. Oxford is proud to bring this new Hughes manuscript to life, and to share with children and adults alike the exhuberant, wise, and funny world of animals as seen by an American literary genius.

About this title

About the Author:

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was one of the most versatile writers of the artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Though known primarily as a poet, he also wrote plays essays, novels, short stories, and books and poems for children.
Ben Vereen has left his mark on the Broadway stage, concert circuit, and in film and television. He has also been widely honored for his humanitarian activities and work with young people.
George P. Cunningham is Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Brooklyn College.
The Harlem School of the Arts provides instruction in music, dance, drama, and visual arts to more than 1,500 students every year. Many of the first, second, and third grade students who participated in this project are part ofOpportunities for Learning in the Arts, a program that offers arts instruction for public school students during the school day.

Review:

"The Sweet and Sour Animal Book, an alphabet book written in verse, was...found among the author's papers after his death. The addition of color photographs of three-dimensional artwork by Harlem School of the Arts first to third graders gives this title a contemporary and accessible flavor for today's youthful readers."--Library Lane

"From Ape to Zebra, the short poems reflect Hughes's childlike wonder as well as his sense of humor."--The New York Times Book Review

"Harlem Renaissance poet Hughes and young Harlem artists together create a fun, provocative, and visually exciting abecedary."--Kirkus Reviews

"The cover is gorgeous, and the book design displays the humor, fantasy, and brilliant color of the kids' work."--Booklist

"Children...will need no help in responding to the book's creative spirit. An inspired artistic collaboration."--School Library Journal

"A droll and dapper menagerie, celebrating in verse one cresture for each letter of the alphabet.... An enchanting edition.... Will delight children and endure as a unique tribute to Hughes, a man not only noted for his genius but beloved for his humor and his humanity."--Smithsonian

"A treasure of long-lost poems written by Langston Hughes in 1936."--Teaching Tolerance

"A marvelous union of graphics and text, alight with color and whimsy.... Laugh-out-loud wonderful."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 019509185X
• ISBN 13: 9780195091854
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48