Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat

Tugeau 2 Team artist, Damian Ward, was one of five artists who illustrated this most original compilation of poetry edited by Nikki Giovanni, published by Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky.   Damian’s digitally painted illustrations grace many of the beautifully designed interior spreads as well as the fabulous cover!  Hip Hop Speaks to Children is due to release on October 1st.  It has already received rave reviews.  Here’s what reviewer John Peters from BOOKLIST has to say: 

BOOKLIST / September 15, 2008 / Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat.

Giovanni, Nikki (Editor), Balouch, Kristen (Illustrator), Noiset, Michele (Illustrator), Tugeau, Jeremy (Illustrator), Vergel de Dios, Alicia (Illustrator), Ward, Damian (Illustrator)

Oct 2008. 72 p. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, hardcover, $19.99. (9781402210488). 811.

“Poetry with a beat. That’s hip hop in a flash.” So writes editor Nikki Giovanni in an introduction that links hip hop to grand opera and then presents a capsule history of African American vernacular music. This slamming cousin to Poetry Speaks to Children (2005) features a wide-angled selection of 51 entries, plus a CD with new or previously released recorded versions of 29, some with music. The poets range from Langston Hughes and W. E. B. Dubois to Kanye West, Mos Def, and Queen Latifah. In keeping with hip-hop tradition, many of the selections are self-referential; others take on a variety of topics from Gwendolyn Brooks’ celebration of “Aloneness” to James Berry’s inspirational “People Equal.” Calef Brown’s “Funky Snowman” is more about medium than message: “Turn up the music / with the disco beat, / when you’re in the groove, / you don’t need feet.” Similarly, on the CD, some presentations are straight readings while others evoke jazz, rap, pop, and field- or pulpit-style chanting. Though created by five illustrators, the art shares both vibrant colors and a dancing, free-spirited look that matches the general tone of the poetry. With appeal for preliterate children, their great grandparents, and every generation in between, this will be fun for families to share as they get their groove on. Appended notes tell more about the contributors.

— John Peters

MORE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM DAMIAN WARD CAN BE SEEN HERE: http://www.tugeau2.com/dwarmain.html

 

October 1st release