Ellington Was Not A Street

Author: Ntozake Shange

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Peach’s Picks Rating:

 



Year of publication: Text, 1983; Illustrations, 2004

City of publication: New York

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 0-689-82884-5

Author website: http://www.ntozakeshange.org/home.html

Illustrator website: http://www.kadirnelson.com/

Media used for illustrations: Oil paint

Annotation: This book is based on the poem “Mood Indigo” by author Ntozake Shange which chronicles her unique childhood where she was surrounded by notable African-American artists, musicians, politicians, and historians.

Personal reaction to the book: “Mood Indigo” written by Shange was first published in a collection of her poetry titled A Daughter’s Geography (New York: St Martin’s Press, Inc.). Here the poem is presented in an eloquent picturebook format from the view point of a little girl (Shange) growing up in New York City during the mid-twentieth century. It is a lyrical tribute to the neighborhood she grew up in and her family home. This home was a gathering place for men who made important contributions to society; among them, Duke Ellington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Paul Robeson. Only a few lines of poetry are presented on each page. The large, powerful oil paintings created by Nelson bring to life this expressive poem. The illustrations show friends warmly greeting one another, visiting, and playing cards. Soon the little girl and the reader are at a party with men and women relaxing and enjoying one another in the warmth of their family home. The little girl watches all this with pleasure. The illustrator depicts the girl as especially small and demure. This technique emphasizes the significance of the adults. The girl is shown throughout the book wearing a robin’s egg blue dress. This makes her stand out from the rest of painting’s the strong earth tones. Nelson pays tribute to Shange by showing her walking on Ellington Street as an adult (pages 2 and 10). The last two-page spread looks like a family portrait with members comfortably smiling at the reader. The illustrations extend and complement the text. Shange’s beautiful poem is presented in its entirety on the back endpaper. Endnotes offer biographical information about each man mentioned in the poem. The book reads aloud well. The illustrations are large and can easily be viewed by a crowd. They should be examined individually for details that establish the time period and the character of the famous men who contributed so much to the world.

General curricular connections:

• Poetry
• Art / Illustrator study
• African-Americans

Specific example of curricular connection matched to State Standards:
Subject: History
Grade level: 11

Standards:

California State Standards

History – Social Studies Content Standards for Public Schools: Kindergarten through Grade 12

Grade 11 United States History and Geography: Continuity and Change in the Twentieth Century

11.10 Students analyze the development of federal civil rights and voting rights.

 
Recommended grade levels:

School Library Journal recommends the book for use with grades 3-8

Booklist recommends the book for use with grades 3-5

Peach’s Picks recommends the book for use with grades 3 and up

Awards/Recognitions:

Kirkus Review starred review

Publishers Weekly starred review

School Library Journal starred review

Coretta Scott King Award, Illustrator Award, 2005

ALA Notable Children’s Books Award, Middle readers, 2005

Simon Wiesenthal Center Award, 2005

Note: This book is included in Assignment 2.

Simile: “Our doors opened like our daddy’s arms”

Simile: “Politics as necessary as collards”

Rhythm:  text flows in rhythmic free verse

Sophisticated use of language: The entire poem in written in a complex spare style that will need to be examined, discussed, and clarified to students

Allusion: The title of the book reminds readers that Ellington Street in New York City is named in honor of Duke Ellington, the musician. The street’s name has background and significance. Duke Ellington music and actions helped change the world.

Book cover picture retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Ellington-Was-Street-Ntozake-Shange/dp/0689828845/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310607786&sr=8-1