Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon

Grade 1–3—Summer in the city in South Philly is packed with sense memories for the children who live there. "We don have no backyard frontyard neither. we got black magic n brownstone steps when the sun go down." But what these kids do have is special: "lemonade n black eye peas…n more to watch than tv"—street games, the ice-cream truck, dancing in the street, and relatives and friends. Life is full. And when the sun goes down, they "got to call out the moon." Forman's poetry is sweet and evocative of a blissful childhood filled with tastes and sights and sounds that seem idyllic. Bayoc's illustrations swirl with energy, movement, and color. The text curls and bounces on the early pages, adding rhythm to the playful scenes. This sweet reminiscence invites readers to recall the special things about their own summers—a great introduction to a September ("What did you do over the summer?") writing assignment. It could also be used as an introduction to writing with a sense of place or a memoir.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME
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First published in Forman's poetry collection We Are the Young Magicians (1993), this lively poem celebrates the author's South Philly neighborhood, where kids outside on summer evenings play double Dutch, freeze tag, and kickball and run for the ice-cream truck. Mamma snaps the naps out to make clean cornrows, and corn bread cools on the stove. Bayoc's double-page spreads, with thick lines and bright colors in exaggerated folklore style, show "we got fine brothers we r fine sistas / n / we got attitude." The kids may have "no backyard frontyard neither," but every page of this book shows the fun they have in the lively urban community. Hazel Rochman
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