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Show EETIT responds, I know . . . but your laugh sure helps conjure his face! Together they traverse milestones in Damons life. Blue teaches Damon tolerance, trust, how to temper his anger, and most of all, what it means to become a man. My Man Blue is poignant not only because it depicts a solid relationship n between males, but because the relationship literally and figand uratively is The relationship follows as most do: first impressions, laying of ground rules, personal history, moral and value judgments, and finally, admiration and respect. The book ends with Damon's moving depiction of his newfound buddy. Blue: "One day111 be like BlueNot fierceIn black leatherOr built likeA heavyweightBoxing rr.achineBut like thatOther Blue I've seenThe one whoSays he caresAnd shows it.The one whoFlashes goldEvery time he smiles. Ultimately, through Nikki Grimes poems, we come to understand that Blue, for Damon, is a symbol of trust and a beacon of light in difficult situations. Jerome Lagarrigues illustrations prove equally powerful. Dark and pensive, they challenge children's imaginations. Lagarrigues slightly abstracted characters prove essential to the underlying message of My Man Blue, which is that Blue could be anyone even someone young readers might know, it b Lft U H STR AT0 RMK Hilary Knight Title of your new book: Ve luklytffCnfo I .GI- -- African-America- MY MAN BLUE Poems by Nikki Grimes Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue Dial Books for Young Readers, Inc., $15.99 ISBN Ages 0803723261 6 and up REVIEW BY CRYSTAL WILLIAMS Here is a book full of surprise and delight. My Man Blue is a compilation of narrative poetry and illustrations that will lead young readers through a splendid story of a young boys relationship with his mothers friend. Blue. My Man Blue begins with Damon and his mother moving to his mothers old neighborhood, where Damon meets Blue. Damon, reluctant to befriend his mother's old pal, soon finds that Blue is actually quite gentle. The relationship between the two evolves, and Blue becomes a surrogate father figure for Damon. Blue, too, is in need: he lost his son Zeke to the streets. Damon is leery of becoming a replacement, and Blue IxtelAimiiQaiaifliECT THE OXFORD AMERICAN setI ISBN Press, $300 0195110811 Ages REVIEW BY KATHY BENNETT The authors and editors of the ume The Oxford American nine-s- ol Childrens Encyclopedia make some rather nice assumptions about their audience that they are curious and eager to learn. The approximately 2,000 entries, including those in a separate volume of nearly 500 biographies, are concise, focused, and w ritten in language that is simple but not simplistic. Also included in this new set is a gazetteer, a world history timeline, and extensive The strengths of the The Oxford American Childrens e Encyclopedia include the entries, photos and illustrations, and the concise delivery of information, not to mention the reasonable price. Oxford University Press recently adapted their popular childrens set to an American audience, incorporating LZ'i.i't't'ine one-pag- entries on all aspects of American history and geography. The only technical error spotted in this translation from British to American culture was a refern ence to the size of the ancient ship, Sutton Hoo. It was stated to be over 24 m (79 in) long, rather than the correct 79 feet in length. The entry on burial mounds focuses on British sites, making a cursory mention of Native American burial mounds. The authors do not limit language, but use definitions within a sentence as a way for children to expand their vocabulary and understand basic concepts. The entry on allegories, for example, defines this literary technique as "a story or picture that can be enjoyed for itself but also has a deeper meaning; the mathematics concept of averages is explained so even the most mathematician can understand mean, median, and mode. The Oxford American Children's Encyclopedia is a y Umtten en3 HUtsb&tedta 1593 Gowtbin&l Wittrtii-- class- learners, and indereference materilearners. Though pendent and online, als are available on CD-ROthere is no replacement for the experience n and of turning the pages of a reference book. V home-school- Kathy Bennett is a in Nashville, higli-scho- Tennessee. angina-- v ho magically 9HI I Cnl Syc yOars Its newparf-tell- W tone all f dd shut bew fee Spirit She i foe librarian I 5 inverted her how "the W Iw gather that j&e I 8nl her ,ure. been the biggest influence on your work? Srt teacher .TfegiialA Marsh ans the great Srtists Ernest Shepard 63 &Wn3 TWac What has Mi Vlho What was your favorite subj ect in school? Why? 'Praw! Mcj psredts toereSrt istS 83 to rifac f'ta them . snd i ViSriteA Hp b1 0 Who was your childhood hero? - snd in Winnie Ib'cTfeob" 'piglet look tvrat hsJ cUdeyi & Char&atejrs What books did you read as a child? "the WihcJ In The Yellows'; PfSney) Kipli Sli IV. btj Snrjfcing With SvUmsl- S- -'- Creatures jeathwS -- or I love. Yed Do you writeillustrate other types of books?If so, what kinds? Triny iMcus .eyotc feet: onobk , un.jlsii a-- : , I cblT (ike to one Styte VJttfe. in If you could trade places j . with one extremely famous person for one day, who would it be and why? bvs rnij work ,w homt.mw & 1 VWj Woult 1 YOnttobe Snyone else ? to tho$e people have wtet refer- ence work, perfect for the traditional room, in 50 words or less: 115 is both 3 brent p Ou'oook Anglo-Saxo- CHILDREN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA Oxford University Crystal Williams is a poet living in Ithaca, New York. Describe your book what message would Droplt.atrfiousel love . cant love fceeb you You - m. cat ssys r,o ! you like to send to all children? Mfe I have 1- ope op the pastes of s glorious a computeyr Hilary Knight collaborated with Kay Thompson on all four Eloise books: this month, Eloise in Paris is available for the first time in 35 years. Knight, a contributor to Vanity Fair magazine, currently resides in New York City. |