Ain't Burned All the Bright
A Caldecott Honor winner!
Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.
Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.
And so for anyone who didn’t really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you’ll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is.
Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.
Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.
And so for anyone who didn’t really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you’ll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is.
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Community Reviews
This was an absolutely PHENOMENAL read! I've never had someone so perfectly put into words the exact feelings I felt in 2020.
The narrator's voice reflected what I was feeling as a human: scared, frustrated, searching for answers. And what he observed in his mother mirrored my own reactions, as I couldn't stop worrying for my two young sons, my husband, and my family who were 2000 miles away from me at the time. I wanted answers, and so I never "changed the channel," whether that be the TV or the internet.
I was tearing up as I read this to myself - every memory from that year popping back into a mind that had pushed them down to tamp the fear and soldier through. I can see this would be an amazing and thought provoking read aloud to a group of late middle school or high schoolers...though, I know if I were to do it, I'd start sobbing right around the middle and not be able to stop.
The page that started the tears for me was:
"and my mother
is staring at the television
trying to tamp the damp down
trying not to break open"
Oof. I felt that in my soul because I can remember, as a mother, feeling that exact same way during the pandemic many, many times.
And towards the end of the book, when we see the outdoors and a bright, spring green, I physically felt HOPE in my gut.
Please read this book...and then read it again...and then give it to someone else so they, too, can breathe it in.
The narrator's voice reflected what I was feeling as a human: scared, frustrated, searching for answers. And what he observed in his mother mirrored my own reactions, as I couldn't stop worrying for my two young sons, my husband, and my family who were 2000 miles away from me at the time. I wanted answers, and so I never "changed the channel," whether that be the TV or the internet.
I was tearing up as I read this to myself - every memory from that year popping back into a mind that had pushed them down to tamp the fear and soldier through. I can see this would be an amazing and thought provoking read aloud to a group of late middle school or high schoolers...though, I know if I were to do it, I'd start sobbing right around the middle and not be able to stop.
The page that started the tears for me was:
"and my mother
is staring at the television
trying to tamp the damp down
trying not to break open"
Oof. I felt that in my soul because I can remember, as a mother, feeling that exact same way during the pandemic many, many times.
And towards the end of the book, when we see the outdoors and a bright, spring green, I physically felt HOPE in my gut.
Please read this book...and then read it again...and then give it to someone else so they, too, can breathe it in.
Great depiction of the struggle people went through during the pandemic. Great language and visuals.
4.5
Read this twice back to back to see how many meanings I can get out of the artwork and the words separately and together
Ohh so good
Read this twice back to back to see how many meanings I can get out of the artwork and the words separately and together
Ohh so good
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