An award-winning, beautiful picture book—poetry and art exploring issues of African American identity. A favorite book to share in schools and homes.

Included in Brightly's list of recommended diverse poetry picture books for kids, and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

"A must," according to Kirkus. "Delicately interwoven images. Laden with meaning, the poetry is significant and lovely. Cooper's paintings, with vibrant, unsentimentalized characters in earth tone illumined with gold, are warm, contemplative."

Booklist commented: "Poems rooted in home, family, and the African-American experience. Highly readable and attractive."

Added Brightly: "Each poem has a unique message and theme and is accompanied by beautiful brown and gold earth-tone illustrations related to broomwheat tea."

‘A cycle of a dozen lyrical poems exploring issues of African-American identity through delicately interwoven images. . . . Laden with meaning, the poetry is significant and lovely. Cooper's paintings, with vibrant, unsentimentalized characters in earth tone illumined with gold, are warm, contemplative'a beautiful complement to Thomas's eloquence. A must.' 'K. ‘Poems rooted in home, family, and the African-American experience…. Highly readable and attractive.' 'BL.

1994 Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book for Nonfiction
1994 Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book for Illustration
1994 Teachers' Choices (IRA)
Notable 1994 Childrens' Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
1994 Notable Trade Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing (NY Public Library)

1993 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)