Picture book, 40 pages. Harry N. Abrams, publisher, 2018.
Does it frighten you?
Well, life frightens me sometimes, and I know it frightens my grandchildren at times - a small voice saying at bedtime "Nonna, the shadows are different than at home" is a big give-away. But their bedtime routine includes sweet, strong songs about love and kindness and safety for just this reason - it drives away the shadows.
Angelou's poem is a call, a reminder to be defiantly self-confident in the face of the day-to-day things like shadows on the wall or a new classroom. And Basquiat's art is just as defiantly vivid in depicting the things which scare us. (This might not be a good book for very little persons who still get nightmares....) Maya Angelou
Angelou, an American author, poet and civil rights activist, rose to prominence with the publication of “ Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969. Angelou, who died in 2014 at the age of 86, was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 by President Barack Obama.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Basquiat was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement and become a cultural phenomena. He used his art to speak about complex social issues which are still relevant today. Steptoe's picture biography, Radiant Child, is an excellent introduction to Basquiat.
Five Resilience-Building Habits for Children Ideas for Making it Real
There are many ways for your kiddo to not only face their fears, but to defy them!
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