These short, vibrant tanka poems about Black boys and young men depict thirteen views of everyday life: dressed in Sunday best, running to catch a bus, growing up to be teachers, and much more. Each of Tony Medina’s tanka is matched with a different artist―including recent Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Award recipients.
Tony Medina is a two-time winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People (DeShawn Days and I and I, Bob Marley), is the author/editor of nineteen books for adults and young readers. A Professor of Creative Writing at Howard University, Medina has received the Langston Hughes Society Award, the first African Voices Literary Award, and has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes for his poems. Jacar Press recently published his anthology Resisting Arrest: Poems to Stretch the Sky, on police violence and brutalities perpetrated on people of color. Tu Books published Medina’s debut graphic novel I Am Alfonso Jones in 2017. He lives in Washington D.C.
Read Aloud Tips
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Create a reading theme around the author, who has published many social justice titles. Read his bio and have students make similarities between his books.
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This book can be used as a way to discuss the deeper meaning of personal identity.
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Set the setting what it’s like to be a Black boy in America. Have students share their thoughts and perceptions.
“The very different artistic renderings, which range from solid to psychedelic, all catch the eye. Though short (only 31 syllables over 5 lines), the poems pack a punch and are a great introduction to reading poetry and the art of writing it. Teachers and other adults will find many ways to use this with children.” – Booklist