Charles R. Smith, Jr. used his photography skills to illustrate a short poem written by Langston Hughes. The book is done in shades of brown and black, which makes it feel comfortable. The background of each page is black, with tan writing. This background makes the faces in the photographs stand out. The focus is clearly on the people, especially the faces since the people are wearing black, which blends into the background. The photographs are done in sepia-tone, which adds a nostalgic tone to the book. The people in the book are both male and female and young and old. This variety of people appear to be cheerful and having fun. The pictures in the book make the reader smile in response.
The text in the book consists of a 33-word poem written in the 1920’s by Langston Hughes. The celebration of African Americans was unique in its time and the photographs add a human face to the poem. Charles R. Smith, Jr. has written a note at the end of the book explaining his reasons for illustrating this poem and for his choice of models. His purpose is “to show that like any other group of people, black people come in all shapes, sizes, shades, and ages, and that each of us is unique” (29). The variety of people featured ensures that Smith has met his goal.
This book would be an excellent read-aloud or independent reader. Beginning readers could enjoy it on their own since it has a limited vocabulary (only 33 word). It would also be a great choice for an introduction to Langston Hughes work or an example of adding images to expand the meaning of a poem. My People is a good choice for any age.
My People has won the 2010 Coretta Scott King Book Award for illustrations. It was also named a best book by many organizations including, the Bank Street College of Education, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, and the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) a part of the American Library Association.
Hughes, Langston, and Charles R. Smith, Jr. My People. New York: Simon & Schuster Children, 2009. Print.
