Circle Unbroken

by Raven, Margot Theis; Lewis, E. B.

• ISBN13: 9780374312893
• ISBN10: 0374312893
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Summary

With its rhythmic text and evocative paintings, this powerful picture book spirals through time, becoming a triumphant song that keeps the African heritage of making baskets alive--a rich story of a craft, a culture, and a people. Full color.

Author Biography

Margot Theis Raven's picture books include Angels in the Dust, which was an IRA Teachers' Choice. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

E. B. Lewis's many picture books include Talkin' About Bessie by Nikki Grimes, which received the Coretta Scott King Award. He lives in Folsom, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

"Gracefully constructed...as intricate as the baskets and the history to which it pays tribute."
-- Starred, Publishers Weekly

"Clear poetic words and exquisite watercolor illustrations depict how the small circular basket holds the big circle of African-American history...Lewis' astonishing pictures combine the panoramas of upheaval and war with portraits of individuals in small circles weaving and passing on their heritage in craft and story." -- Starred, Booklist

"Raven's text masterfully frames several hundred years of African-American history within the picture-book format. Lewis's double-page watercolor images are poignant and perfectly matched to the text and mood." -- School Library Journal

"In solemn Gullah cadences, an old woman passes on to a grandchild centuries of history embodied in the Sea Islands' distinctive sweetgrass baskets...Powerfully evoking the passage of successive generations linked by the ancient skill." -- Kirkus Reviews