Bryan, Ashley (2007). Let It Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
2008 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner
Bryan has compiled three well known "Negro Spirituals": "This Little Light of Mine", "When the Saints Go Marching In", and "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands." The spirituals themselves are happy, hopeful, and upbeat. That says volumes about the slaves that created them in community. All that was really theirs was their spirit, their hope, and their songs which in their simplicity showed the genius of their expression. Bryan dedicates a page to give some information about these treasured spirituals at the end of the book which comes after all three songs are set to music notation with his beautiful artwork in the background.
Bryan's artwork is hypnotizing! He uses paper cutouts, which seem to be cut from construction paper, and overlays them to create beautiful collages rich with vibrant color, rich with texture that you can feel with your eyes, and numerous, almost overwhelming detail. The art is deliciously sweet to the eyes and enhances the lyrics of the spirituals with added meaning and a deeper sense of hope.
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