When I began to introduce my children to poetry as a daily practice within our homeschool, I was struck by the homogeneity of the sweet images included within the pages of our favorite poetry books. As I read more, I heard familiar refrains and verses that struck on the many shared emotions of humanity – joy, fear, love, discomfort, belonging. But none celebrated the unique experiences of Black children and their meanderings through field and forest alongside the crickets and toads.
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Feeling certain that poetry reflecting my children and their attachment to the natural world was somewhere to be found, I began a hopeful search telling myself that diligent effort would perhaps pay out in the end. And boy, did it ever.
Tucked away in the middle of a literature guide, originally published in 1941, was a passing reference to Gladiola Garden by Effie Lee Newsome with a brief description of “Poems for younger children by a Negro poet and artist.”
I had come to trust the guide’s author, Charlemae Rollins, the head of the children’s department in the first branch of the Chicago library system built in a Black neighborhood, so it was easy to follow the trail she left behind so many years ago. And sure enough, at the end of the line awaited a treasure of poems that spoke to my children, my adult sensibilities, and the little girl inside of me who had longed to see herself within the pages of a special book.
As my family soaked up the richness of Harlem Renaissance writer Effie Lee Newsome and illustrator Lois Mailou Jones, it became apparent that this volume was too plum a treasure to hold as our own. It needed to be in the home of every child – as a mirror reflecting the everyday life recognized as their own or a window giving a rare view into the playful romps and observations of brown-skinned children.
So with a thankful spirit and steadfast commitment to bring forth voices and images that will pour into the lives of so many young people, I’m so happy to share with you that Living Book Press has printed a new edition of Gladiola Garden (in hardcover and paperback) with all 77 of the original illustrations and a new foreword by yours truly.
The World Voices Collection from Living Book Press was created to bring you stories and experiences from different cultures than those which are usually shared. Every book gives the reader the opportunity to share in lives and backgrounds different from those usually presented allowing deeper understanding of the things we all share.
– Living Book Press, World Voices Collection
It was an absolute honor to write the new foreword in this edition of my most cherished volume of children’s poetry, my little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. May Gladiola Garden bless you and yours as it has me and mine.
You can find me on Instagram at @heritagemomblog. See you there!
This looks like a lovely book of poetry – thank you for sharing it! And congratulations on writing the foreward! I’m now planning on purchasing a copy to leave under our Christmas Tree this year 🙂 Thanks again for sharing so many resources and discoveries with your readers.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
This is a great option for Christmas, and you’re welcome! I really do love sharing my favorite finds.
This is awesome Amber. Just ordered a copy for our family. Can’t wait to read it together.
Thank you, Keke! I hope your family enjoys these sweet poems.
I find it amazing that this book was published in 1941. Thanks for bringing it back to our attention!
Absolutely! The entire process has been a complete pleasure.
Thats incredible Amber! So exciting! Thank you for sharing! Can’t wait till it gets here.
Hi Crystal! Thank you for sharing my excitement, and I hope you love it.
Thanks so much for this recommendation! My copy arrived yesterday and it’s lovely. My 6yo couldn’t wait to hear a few of them.
You are so welcome. I’m delighted to hear that you like it. Happy reading!
We are excited to have added this volume to our poetry collection and plan to read it together this school year after reading about it on your blog (or IG maybe).
We usually memorize a few poems when we study a single poet and I would love to hear if you have any special favorites that you would recommend for this. Thank you!
I’m glad that you picked it up, and I hope your family will enjoy it. Some of my favorites in this volume are: Gladiola Garden (XV) because it will forever remind us of this entire volume, Children Know (p. 33) because it gives a clear glimpse into how well Newsome was able to write from a child’s perspective, and At the Pool (p. 53) because I so appreciate her poems that give honor to Black children who enjoy nature. I look forward to hearing which ones your kids gravitate towards!
Yay! Thank you for the suggestions! I usually pick those we will memorize at the beginning of our study, and it’s nice to have some winners to choose from without having to preview the entire volume myself first. I will let you know any additional favorites that were not on your list : )