poems about children playing

An exuberant picture-book collection pairs 12 lively poems by Nikki Grimes with Myles Pinkney's shining color photographs of African-American children. Some of Grimes's poems are culturally specific, celebrating the love and pride reflected in African-American children's names, or the significance of a brownskinned child at the library who can see herself in the books she reads. The collection as a whole acknowledges the importance of self-esteem, of joy, of laughter, in all children's lives. Young children will love looking at the pictures of other boys and girls, and listening to--or reading--the poems with which they are paired. CCBC categories: Poetry. 1997, Dial, 32 pages, $14.99. Ages 4-8. CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 1997)