BIBLIOGRAPHY
McKissack, Patricia C. 2011. Never Forgotten. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Schwartz & Wade. ISBN 978-375-84384-6
SUMMARY
A young boy is stolen away from his home in West Africa to be a slave in America. His father and the Mother Elements - Wind, Fire, Water and Earth, are bereft after he is gone. A story all too familiar to the many thousands of people who had members of their family stolen during the African slave trade. This story-in-verse was written for all those that were taken and those that were left behind.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Never Forgotten is an African-American story with its roots based in history and folktales. Widely acclaimed, it's won many awards and nominations including the 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor book, the 2012 Notable Books for a Global Society Award, the 2011 Booklist Children's Editor's Choice, and the NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies to name just a few.
McKissack wrote Never Forgotten with African literature and music in mind. Her poems contain haunting, lyrical verses which unabashedly tell of the horrors during the slave trade: "Hundreds, thousands stolen. We rarely speak of the Taken..." When Musafa is born, the Mother Element, Wind speaks words that soon prove false when she says "We will dance / Through the / Tall grasses, / You and I, / Forever Free."
The Dillon's used dramatic woodcut illustrations with thick, bold lines which lend gravity to the heavy, emotional topic. Using bold colors for Musafa and the father, the Mother Elements and the deceased mother are represented using ethereal pale colors. The villagers and father wear beautiful African clothes, and touchingly, when Musafa is shown working in a blacksmith's workshop, around his neck is a scarf, made from his African garb. It's a beautiful portrayal of Musafa never forgetting where he came from. The Dillon's illustrations are, as usual, stunning and meaningful.
Although this is a beautiful, well-written story, some children might find it too sad. When the Mother Elements tell Musafa's father, Dinga, that his son is alive, he is able to celebrate the knowledge by telling his village "Though a slave, he lives!" Even a neighbor exclaims "Such a fantastic story! How can we believe him?" The reality is that most, if not all, suffered the pain of never knowing what happened to their loved ones. So while the verse is beautiful and the illustrations stellar, I was left feeling sorrow for all the stories and people unknown.
Recommended for 1st grade and up.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Forceful and iconic, the Dillon's woodcut-style paintings use gentle colors and strong lines to telegraph scary sequences, but do not dwell on them...The willingness to turn the dark history of the past into literature takes not just talent but courage. McKissack has both." --Publishers Weekly - Starred Review
"The pictures demonstrate the miracle of superb book illustration: how something that lies flat on the page can convey such depth, texture, and feeling. This sad but powerful tale will not be easily accessible to many kids, but here’s hoping that there are a lot of patient and appreciative adults (teachers, parents, librarians) to introduce them to it." --School Library Journal
"The dramatic, thickly outlined acrylic-and watercolor illustrations extend the story’s magical realism and intensify the anguish and grief in the words. Both words and images come together in a conclusion that brings hope, with the promise of freedom"--Booklist
"Sounds of drums and song for each element (Fire is “Kiki Karum Kiki Karum Kiki Karum,” while Water is “Shum Da Da We Da Shum Da Da We Da,” for instance) emphasize the storyteller’s voice in the narrative, inviting listeners to participate and engage. Full-page and border paintings in acrylic and watercolor use strong black lines, almost like woodcut engravings, in deep browns, earth colors and subtle jewel tones against creamy backgrounds...A totally absorbing poetic celebration of loss and redemption."--Kirkus Reviews
“McKissak gives her legend-making genuine momentum as well as scope….Stories of the middle passage rarely focus on the pain of those left behind, and this is a creative yet poignant treatment of that grief.”--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Literature
In flowing poetry this modern legend fills in the gap of knowledge of slave descendants...The illustrations show humans in bright color outlined in black with the elements in softer colors swirling around behind. This lovely work of art will delight people of all ages. --Children's Literature
CONNECTIONS
*For students who enjoyed the illustrations, here are more books illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillion.
- Rawlings, Marjorie, K. The Secret River. ISBN 1416911790
- Hamilton, Virginia. The People Could Fly. ISBN 0679843361
- Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale. ISBN 0140549056
-Dillon, Leo and Dillon, Diane. Jazz on a Saturday Night. ISBN 0590478931
*For other books on slavery.
-Kamma, Anne. If You Lived When There Was Slavery In America. ISBN 0439567068
-Anderson, Laurie H. Chains. ISBN 1416905863
-Fradin, Judith B. and Frandin, Dennis B. Stolen Into Slavery. ISBN 9781426309373
-Hamilton, Virginia. Many Thousand Gone. ISBN 0679879366
*There are many words that students will need to review before reading the book. Use these as vocabulary words: artisan, captives, abide, persuaded, forge, calabash, apprentice, countenance, ballad
defiance, ponder.
*For Art class, have students make potato paintings similar to a woodcut by carving out a circle in the middle of the potato. Leaving a 1/4"rim for black paint, have students carve outside of the rim so that when students stamp the paper, they will only see an outline of a circle in black. Students can then fill in the white circle center with color. After they understand the concept. they can create other shapes as well.
*This is a link to a Teacher's Resource of activities from Random House. http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375843846.pdf
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