BOOK REVIEW: Poetry: Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People by Carole Boston Weatherford

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People. New York: Philomel Books, 2002.  ISBN 0399237267.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Take a walk through four hundred years of African American history – through masterful poems, intricate drawings, and striking photographs.  Weatherford tells the story of her past in words that express heartache and passion, triumph and defiance in the faces of the famous and everyday people – those forgotten to time and those written on the face of history.  Striking black and white drawings and photographs draw the words of the poetry into a striking contrast as the rhythm of her poetry brings to mind the sing-song quality African drum beats and the stories that followed them across the oceans.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Remember the Bridge is striking in its depth, but simple enough for a beginning reader to explore the themes of slavery, oppression, journey, and strength.  Each page presents a new character or place, important to African and American history and each poem reminds the reader of the past while giving courage for the future.  From the first tribesmen sent to the New World and the soldiers who fought in the Civil Wars to Rosa Parks and Mae Jemison (first African American female astronaut), each piece of history is presented as equally important to the struggle and triumph of spirit.  Paired with antique drawings and striking black and white photographs of the subject/s the poems on each page draw you in and invite you to think back on how far each person has moved in four hundred years. 

Each poem has a different feel, some rhyming, some not and many of the rhymes are predictive, which while great for small children, may take an older reader out of the imagery.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2002 NORTH CAROLINA AAUW AWARD FOR JUVENILE LITERATURE

FROM KIRKUS REVIEWS – “Almost all of these poems are rhymed, with many fairly shouting to be read out loud with a strong beat. Each poem is paired with a vintage photograph or illustration, augmented by an attractive page design with the titles set in brown.”

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY – “Weatherford's free verse can be eloquent, but when molded to the meter of rhyme, her poetry at times becomes pedestrian and cliched ("Me, in my sailor suit/ off to Sunday school,/ ready with a Bible verse/ and the Golden Rule"). The order of the material is confusing as well the narrative starts out chronologically, then skips around, as when a photo of a 1930s farming family appears before a mention of a Civil War regimental hero.”

5.  CONNECTIONS

Gather other poetry books that showcase African writers such as:

•     Roessel, David and Arnold Rampersand, eds. POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: LANGSTON HUGHES.  ISBN 1454903287.

•     Giovanni, Nikki. Ills. Michele Noiset. HIP HOP SPEAKS TO CHILDREN: A CELEBRATION OF POETRY WITH A BEAT. ISBN 1402210485.

Gather other Carole Boston Weatherford books to read such as:

•     Ills. Sean Qualls. BEFORE JOHN WAS A JAZZ GIANT: A SONG OF JOHN COLTRANE. ISBN 0805079947.

•     Ills. Tim Ladwig. THE BEATITUDES: FROM SLAVERY TO CIVIL RIGHTS.  ISBN 9780802853523.