Review by Booklist Review
After Lonnie and his uncle, Bates, see a message in the sky inviting them to a party celebrating the Harlem Renaissance, they board a plane that takes them back in time. Lonnie hopes to meet Langston Hughes, his favorite poet, and he is thrilled to encounter so many giants standing tall above the crowd, sharing dreams of a better life for all black people. The pair have chicken and waffles with Jack Johnson, wave to Madame C. J. Walker in her convertible, dance to Satchmo at the Savoy, and meet a litany of luminaries along the way, from Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. DuBois to Paul Robeson and Zora Neale Hurston and, of course, Langston Hughes himself. Ringgold's familiar characters, with their bold shapes, strong outlines, and bright, flat colors, stand out against the brilliant backdrop of Harlem, rendered in electric blues, reds, and yellows. She is careful to express the breadth and depth of the cultural movement in the variety of her imagery, and her choice to depict Lonnie, who dreams of being the proudest, littlest Giant of the Harlem Renaissance, with fair skin, blue eyes, and red hair, connects the history of the movement with the complex reality of being black in America in 2014. This is both a stirring tribute and personal reflection on an iconic period in U.S. history. A comprehensive glossary includes definitions and biographies of dozens of Harlem Renaissance figures.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"The crowd roared. The celebration was on," writes Caldecott Honoree artist Ringgold (Tar Beach), conjuring a magical celebration in which a boy named Lonnie and his uncle Bates meet the giants of the Harlem Renaissance. They eat chicken and waffles at Well's, see a parade led by Marcus Garvey, meet a string of the era's musicians and writers, and finally encounter the man Lonnie admires most-poet Langston Hughes. Lonnie is stage-struck. "Do you write, Mr. Lonnie?" Hughes asks him. "Yes, I guess so," Lonnie answers. "Then you are a writer," Hughes declares. Ringgold's bold, heavily outlined figures give the heroes the look of icons, an effect enhanced by placing them against backdrops of hot red and bright blue. While the narrative and dialogue have the unfortunate air of textbook prose, cramming as much information into each episode as possible ("Mr. Robeson, you are a great singer, actor, and athlete"), there's rich inspiration here, especially in Ringgold's characterization of the African-American experience. "Black people didn't come to America to be free," Lonnie says. "We fought for our freedom by creating art, music, literature, and dance." Ages 4-8. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Accomplished artist, educator, and activist Ringgold gives readers a grounding in the Harlem Renaissance in this follow-up to her Dinner at Aunt Connie's House (Hyperion, 1993). Narrator and aspiring author Lonnie travels back in time with his uncle to meet the artists, musicians, and writers who reinvigorated African American culture in the early 20th century. As W.E.B. Du Bois comments when they see him at The Crisis magazine headquarters, "We black folk had a new desire to create as though we had just awakened from a deep, deep sleep." While visiting 1930s Harlem, the pair eat breakfast with Jack Johnson, watch a Marcus Garvey parade, and "cut a rug" at the Savoy Ballroom. At the Schomburg Library, they encounter Zora Neale Hurston, Carter G. Woodson, and Lonnie's hero, Langston Hughes. Back matter includes a glossary of terms and brief biographies of the legendary giants that Lonnie meets at the party. Ringgold's colorful acrylic illustrations will acquaint a new generation with cultural icons of the Harlem Renaissance. Librarians will want to follow up by sharing complementary titles in their collections, such as David Roessel's Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes (Sterling, 2006) and Dennis Brindell Fradin and Judith Bloom Fradin's biography Zora!: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston (Clarion, 2012).-Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Lonnie (Dinner at Aunt Connies House) and his uncle Bates take an airplane trip back in time, landing in Harlem at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. Throughout their day, Lonnie and Uncle Bates visit several Harlem landmarks -- Wells Restaurant, the Africana Art Gallery, Madam Walkers Beauty School, etc. -- in search of Lonnies favorite writer, Langston Hughes. At each stop they meet Harlem Renaissance greats -- Jack Johnson, Marcus Garvey, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Madam C. J. Walker, to name just a few -- and Lonnie, along with readers, gets a mini history lesson from each one, delivered in occasionally clunky exposition (Lonnie: Mr. Robeson, you are a great singer, actor, and athlete. How does it feel to be so famous that everyone knows your name?). By the time they finally catch up with Langston Hughes himself, giving a poetry reading at the Schomburg Library, Lonnie has been so thoroughly immersed in the history and culture of the times that he dreams of being dubbed the littlest giant of the Harlem Renaissance. More of a history lesson than a story, the book is also a vehicle for Ringgolds accomplished acrylic paintings, which make the greats Lonnie meets seem both larger than life and completely down to earth. kathleen t. horning(c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Harlem Airlines flies a boy and his uncle back in time to a fanciful grand parade on Seventh Avenue, where they meet and greet a star-studded lineup of African-American luminaries. After a breakfast of "the best fried chicken and waffles this side of heaven" (at the legendary Well's Restaurant), the boy is on the lookout for Langston Hughes, his favorite poet. Marcus Garvey passes by, as does W.E.B. Du Bois. There's a visit to the Africana Art Gallery, Madame C.J. Walker's Beauty School and the Harlem Opera House, where they have a conversation with Paul Robeson. Florence Mills and Josephine Baker represent those who achieved fame overseas. At the Schomburg Library, they hear Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, who recites "My People." A party at the Savoy with performances by Fletcher Henderson's band, Satchmo and Coleman Hawkins is a festive finale. On the flight home, the boy reiterates his racial pride and determination to write. Ringgold has a sure hand as she delivers her message and even references her own Aunt Connie's Dinner Party (1993). The acrylic paintings on textured canvas feature elongated figures that are boldly colored in all the primary hues. Her decision to depict her proud protagonist as light-skinned, red-haired and blue-eyed is an eloquent statement all by itself. Black pride is strong in this homage. (Harlem Renaissance glossary, further reading) (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
