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An eight-year-old girl narrates 16
poems that are infectious in their toe-tapping, life-loving
spirit. Sadie, an aspiring writer, lives with her mother and
younger sister in Harlem. In the selection, "The Coolest Job in
the World," she calls herself a "poetry girl" who will "paint
pictures with words." Norman, whose parents, like her heroine's,
hail from the Dominican Republic, has done just that with her
first children's book. "I'm a hip-hop song that makes you wiggle./
I'm a late-night sneaky giggle," Sadie imagines in the selection
"Daydreaming." While sometimes lengthy, each of the reflective
poems contains observations both lyrical and childlike. Sadie's
everyday subjects range from wavy hair ("If you comb it straight
and pull it tight,/ I'm afraid my hair can't sing") to her
favorite things ("I love it when Pop calls me silly names/ like
hula-hoop head and pumpkin bread") to her parents' separation.
Morrison paints the characters in the same long-limbed,
high-stepping style he used for Jazzy Miz Mozetta. His snappy
illustrations, drenched in purples and golden browns, dance in
their own right as they bring Sadie's multicultural world to
light. Door frames, fences and floor moldings curve and swerve,
reflecting and extending the playful tone of the text. Readers may
find their feet laughing right along with Sadie's.
Sadie is eight and does not for a
minute follow the advice of the women who come to her Harlem
brownstone for coffee with her mother. When they tell her good
girls are seen and not heard, she knows she has way too much to
say to be a good girl for long. Her exuberance and imagination
create a giggle jar for her silliness, funky music for her hair,
and daydreams that take her everywhere but her classroom. The
sixteen free-verse poems in this picture book are delightfully and
wildly illustrated by Frank Morrison whose previous book Jazzy
Miz Mozetta, won a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for
new talent. This is Lissette Norman's first book, and it is a
winner in every way. Her rhythm will make your feet want to dance,
and Morrison's illustrations will show you exactly how.
- Augusta
Scattergood
Gr 1-6-When her grandmother goes to
live in heaven, Sadie, a young Dominican American, and her mother
and sister move into Mama Didi's Harlem brownstone. Sadie has
stories to tell and poems to write, and Norman has given her a
voice in 13 accessible, narrative selections. Blending familial
love and the optimism of youth, they convey Sadie's irrepressible
personality. She explains that she can't sit still because her
"feet are laughing"; relates how she and her younger sister Julie
store their chuckles in a Giggle Jar, ready to dispense on a bad
day; and describes herself: "I'm a hip-hop song that makes you
wiggle./I'm a late-night sneaky giggle./I'm a cornrow braid./I'm a
cool glass of sweet lemonade." Although Sadie's parents have
separated, they remain good friends and continue to care for one
another in healthy, nurturing ways, defying the stereotype of the
broken home. Sadie's story would pair nicely with Vera B.
Williams's Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart (HarperCollins, 2001),
for both books offer narrative clarity and sisters to believe in.
Sadie's upbeat spirit is equally matched by Morrison's
contemporary, graffiti-influenced illustrations that explore the
child's urban neighborhood as well as the richness of her life.
Done in a palette of bright greens, warm tangerines, and deep
purples, the paintings feature sharp angles, elongated forms, and
figures that are stretched and bowed. A sweet, hip, and joyous
book. -Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet
School, Springfield, MA
Sadie is a young Dominican-American
who lives in Harlem with her mom and sister in her grandma's
house. She's eight years old and full of spirit; Norman's poetry
brings her vividly to life. In 16 poems, she chats about her
feelings toward her dad and mom's separation ("Mami and Pop
Are Good Friends"), her grandma ("Heaven is Where Grandma Lives")
and her six-year-old sister ("My Feet Are Laughing"). The free
verse typifies her age, as in, "Love is Crystal telling / Rolando
from down the street / that she likes his blue-and-orange jersey /
and Rolando wearing it almost every day." Each poem is accompanied
by a double-page spread of illustrations as energetic as Sadie.
Long curving lines exaggerate space and make the interiors cozy,
as do the mellow and delicious shades of chocolate, purple and
yellow. Sure to make readers' feet laugh.
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