The Reign: North & South America

I’ve been waiting for a book like this for over a decade now. Back when I had the honor of teaching first grade, my students engaged in research projects all year long. Black history was also taught all year long. Understanding the influence of the African Diaspora is a beneficial component for any classroom population, but the topic was essential for, and enthusiastically embraced by, my students because our community was made up of first generation Africans, Latin-Americans, and all of us to some degree are descendants of Africa. The Reign: North & South America published by PanAfrican Publishing House and written by C.Nichole, is a non-fiction gem comprised of history, illustrations, and a timeline of the African Diaspora throughout the Americas. The text is organized by nation, 20 altogether; from the Argentine to the Wampanoag.

The Reign: North & South America by C. Nichole. Illustrated by Sailesh Acharya. Published by Pan African Publishing House. Dallas, TX. 2021

For younger students

Depending on the age of my audience, I would include this book in my classroom two different ways. 1) for younger students, I would keep it behind my desk and bring it out only for read alouds and whole group instruction. Then eventually it would make it to the browsing bins and lending library, but only after it is intentionally taught, discussed, and processed. During read alouds, students always draw and write about the stories they listen to. Unsolicited commentary is allowed as well. I rarely shush. We like to keep learning multisensory around these parts.

“During read alouds, students always draw and write about the stories they listen to.”
Samples of kindergarteners’ comprehension of the read aloud, A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver.

I made a read aloud comprehension sheet for The Reign: North & South America. You can download it
for free here. 

For older students,

I would be sure to have at least four copies available for students to access during our research. The Reign: North & South America will be an essential resource for several different research topics that students may be engaged in. Some examples of research themes are: The African Diaspora, My Culture, Country Study, My People, Native Tribes, The Americas.

I greatly appreciate that the book has page numbers. One wouldn’t expect most children’s books to not have page numbers, but rarely they do. I prefer page numbered books for research purposes. To teach research skills while also teaching history, I add color-coded sticky notes to pages in the book where specific information can be found. I then have a corresponding classroom chart that displays each stickynote color’s content area. This is a great way to structure and guide independent work time or social studies centers.

Although comprehensive, this book will also spark many questions in it’s readers of any age and inspire them to want to research more:

Where can I learn more about Nacimiento de Los Negros?

Is there still a Maroon community in Nova Scotia?

What else did Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) accomplish in Jamaica?

Am I part of the Diaspora?

I particularly appreciated learning about the Seminole and Mascogo because my great great grandmother, Sallie Hamilton, was, according to family legend, 100% Seminole and lived in Pensacola Florida with her husband, John Boyle and their two daughters. I have a picture of her at the beach with my grandfather in the early 1930s. When I find it, I’ll add it to this post.

The 18 other ethnic groups included are: Argentine, Cherokee, Cuban, Curacaoan, Ecuadorian, Garifuna, Haitian, Jamaican, , Miskito, Narragansett, Panamanian, Pequot, Quilombola, Saint Lucian, Saamaka, Shinnecock, Trinbagonian, and Wampanoag. Hopefully, this book will provide you with more information on your ancestral group too.

Thanks for reading.

– The Picture Book Pusher.

BHM Children’s Read Alouds: Day 4: Joseph Boulogne

February 4 – Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George by Lesa Cline – Ransome. Illustrated by James E. Ransome.

Genre: Non-Fiction. Biography

Biography: Joseph Boulogne – knight (chevalier), fencer, composer, violinist, royal music instructor, Colonel in French Revolution, abolitionist. 1739 – 1799.

Historical Time Period: Mid-late 1700’s.

Geographical Relevance: 1. Guadeloupe Islands in the West Indies. 2. Paris, France. 3. Senegal.

Authenticity: The author, Lesa Cline-Ransome, and the illustrator, James E. Ransome, are wife and husband. Lesa was an avid writer while attending the Pratt Institute in New York, a professional marketing-writer, and developed a love of picture books during her graduate program in Education. Her husband first encouraged her to put her skills and knowledge into picture book form, and from there she would research the history of her subjects while her young children napped. James’ illustrations, also researched, make for a complete story. What is rare and wonderful to see, in major publishing houses, is the author and illustrator creating the book together. Ideas are in agreement – facilitating the book’s authenticity.

Before There was Mozart. By Lesa and James Ransome. 2011

Right: Author Lesa Cline-Ransome. Left: Illustrator James E. Ransome.
(photo courtesy of Chronogram Magazine)

I hadn’t heard of this book, or the author, before I saw it in the window of The Book Rack in Arlington, MA., a little over a month ago. This book is rare in quality. The story is unique and has many layers: A boy, who’s mother was a first-generation slave captured from Senegal, yet was never a slave himself, because his father, the plantation Master, honored his son as his son. The father also acknowledged the mother. Joseph continually experienced both oppression and privilege throughout his life, making for a very dynamic position and perspective in the world. I recommend this book for all ages, although grade K2 and grade 1 will need some mindful scaffolding beforehand.

Thanks for reading The Picture Book Pusher.

K2 Read Alouds: Week 6: Confrontation & Conflict Resolution

School week of: October 14 – October 18.

I introduce the concept of ‘Confrontation’ to Kindergarteners, lovingly and mindfully, with intention to: embrace truth, construct discourse, and build resiliency – in that order. The overall goal is to educate and empower my students.

(This is a late post. It’s been sitting in ‘Drafts’, due to minor edits being needed that I did not edit until now.)

Monday:

Nationally recognized holiday. No school. Ironically public libraries are closed this day also. No schools. No libraries. What does this American custom say about our values exactly?

Tuesday

I was going to read Encounter by Jane Yolen. Illustrated by David Shannon.

Well-established children’s author, Jane Yolen, wrote outside her usual genres with the making of Encounter. It is meant to be historical fiction. It is meant to be told from the view point of a young Taino boy who is from the Taino tribe who were the first to suffer an encounter with spaniard, Christopher Columbus. When I first read this story, a couple years back, I fell in love with it. I actually recommended it in an earlier blog post, from a year ago.

However, as I’ve matured as an educator and picture book connoisseur, I’ve been inclined to doubt the book’s authenticity. My own inclinations turned out to be true – the book is not as authentic as it portrays to be.

I was puzzled that the author seemed to have absolutely no connection to the people whom she wrote about in Encounter. So I did what I do with all children’s books that are written about native peoples by non-native people – I researched their research. Usually, in the first few pages of a book, an author will include their resources, and tribal affiliated validators. I affirmed my suspicions thrice. Once, via this online article. Second, from author Jane Yolen’s actual bio regarding her reasons for writing Encounter; her reasons didn’t impress me. Then, there is this quite controversial youtube clip of it, in which the maker of the Youtube book trailer, states that the Taino people are extinct. Which is not true. All the comments are filled with people asking her to not ad-lib Jane Yolen’s words by stating that the Taino people are extinct. However, she keeps it up for the advertising benefit, which she states in one of the comments. I’m not adding the link here. That same video is actually recommended on author Jane Yolen’s website. Yeah, so no. I’m not reading it to my students. I’ll figure out another way to educate my students from a native perspective. I discovered a great blog, American Indians in Children’s Literature, by University of Illinois professor of American Indian Studies, Debbie Reese. She even wrote a post that discredits Yolen’s Encounter, as an inaccurate account of the Taino.

Instead, I read Dr. Seuss’ Fox in Socks. This classic is chalk full of teachable moments relating to conflict resolution.

Fox in Socks
By Dr. Seuss

From Dr. Seuss’ Fox in Socks

From Dr. Seuss’ Fox in Socks

Wednesday and Thursday

Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger. Illustrated by Michael Hays.

Abiyoyo
By Pete Seeger
Illustrated by Michael Hays. Currently published by Aladdin.

Vocabulary: ‘ostracized’.   Class discussion: ‘How to believe in yourself and your community even when they don’t believe in you.’

Abiyoyo was also available in the Listening Center for students to enjoy on CD.

Friday

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman. Illustrated by Caroline Binch.

Amazing Grace
By Mary Hoffman
Illustrated by Caroline Binch.
Published by Dial. 1991

“You can’t be Peter – that’s a boys name.” But Grace kept her hand up. “You can’t be Peter Pan,” whispered Natalie.
“He isn’t black.” But Grace kept her hand up.

I do have to ad lib here and there, in Amazing Grace, in order for it to be as loving and mindful a book as my students need it to be. Yet, there are many many children’s books that I ad lib, so this book is not unlike most in it’s need for adliberature. Usually, my ad libbing is centered around adjectives. There’s just never enough adjectives, or the right adjectives, in a story.

Thank you for reading The Picture Book Pusher.