Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the
African American National Anthem by
James Weldon Johnson, illustrated by Elizabeth Catlett, foreward by Ashley
Bryan. NON-FICTON PICTURE BOOK. Bloomsbury, 2019 (reissue). $18. 9781681199559
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Written in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday by a
school teacher in Florida in 1899, and then set to music by his brother and
first performed by 500 school children in 1900, this song is now the official
African American national anthem, and has been performed countless times at
celebrations and protests. First published in 1993, this reissue includes a foreword
by award-winning author Ashley Bryan, Elizabeth Catlett’s original captions for
her 1940s linocuts which illustrate the lyrics, and the musical score at the
end.
This poem is truly a national treasure and this presentation is
elegant. Black-and-white carved prints, a few with turquoise highlights, grace
the left side of each spread, opposite a few lines of text, with a blocky turquoise
pattern forming a top and bottom border. The lyrics and images combine to
create a moving celebration of this anthem, just as the subtitle states. Use
this book to introduce students to this song, some important figures from
history (both from the context of the poem and subjects in the linocut prints),
or the art form of linocuts.
P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian
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