Hold Them Close: A Love Letter to Black Children

(Hardback)

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Description

When happy things come to you, hold them close and never let go.

From celebrated author of Your Name Is a Song Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, fine artist Patrick Dougher, and photographer Jamel Shabazz, Hold Them Closeis a picture book celebration of Black past, present, and futurea joyful love letter to Black children.

As affirming as it is touching and warm, Hold Them Close encourages young children to hold close their joy, the words of their ancestors and elders, as well as their power to change the world. A perfect book for shared story time, this book will inspire young people to march forth with pride, glow, and happiness.

"A love poem to Black children that both educates and bolsters." Kirkus Reviews

Reviews

Hold Them Close is a true work of art. This is a book to be savored and reread in classrooms and homes. -- Booklist (starred review)

[This] book is an uplifting family story as much as it is a beautifully fearless introduction to much of Black history and why learning about it is essential for understanding the modern world. -- School Library Journal (starred review)

"Thompkins-Bigelow (Abdul's Story) pens a stirring free verse love letter to Black children and community, carrying readers through a range of experiences to be held tight or dismissed." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The resulting images simultaneously emphasize a painful past, a tumultuous present, and a hopeful future, making for a tribute both sobering and jubilant." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A love poem to Black children that both educates and bolsters." -- Kirkus Reviews

Author Bio

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is a Philadelphia-based educator and children's book author. Her works, which center young Black and Black Muslim protagonists, have been recognized and critically praised by many trusted voices in literature, including American Library Association, School Library Journal, and NPR. Her books include Mommy's Khimar, Once Upon an Eid (anthology contributor), Your Name Is a Song, and Abdul's Story. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Patrick Dougher is a self-taught artist, musician, poet, educator, and spiritual activist. Patrick has played and recorded with Grammy Award winners Sade, Chuck D (Public Enemy), and Dan Zanes, as well as many other notables. He is the drummer on Dub Side as the Moon one of the bestselling Reggae LP's of all time. He has worked as a teaching artist in New York City public schools, as an art therapist working with HIV-positive children, and as the director of a community arts organization. For over twenty years, Patrick has used the arts to empower and support the socio-emotional growth and health of "at-risk" and disenfranchised youth of the city. Through his art, Patrick seeks to inspire and celebrate the noble beauty and divine nature of people of African descent and to connect urban African American culture to its roots in sacred African art, spirituality, and ritual.