Poet and narrator Nikole Hannah-Jones recounts the history and consequences of enslavement for Black Americans in this audiobook. With soothing and unobtrusive sound effects, she details the culture and traditions of West Africans before they were enslaved. Her narration is joyful while celebrating the origins of Black Americans and the resilient people they descend from. Her tone becomes appropriately sharp as she reminds listeners that Black Americans did not descend from immigrants but from kidnapped peoples. Her lovingly delivered author’s note at the end touches on her hope that Black American children “come away empowered by the knowledge that there is no shame in descending from American slavery.” A.K.R. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

★ 10/11/2021

When a Black child, this story’s narrator, feels shame surrounding a family tree assignment (“I can only count back three generations, here, in this country”), their parents and grandparents offer what an author’s note calls “a proud origin story.” In meticulous, forthright poems by Newbery Honoree Watson and 1619 Project founder Hannah-Jones, the family reaches back to the Kingdom of Ndongo, where their ancestors “had a home, a place, a land,/ a beginning.” Subsequent spreads describe the child’s West Central African forbears, who spoke Kimbundu (“had their own words/ for love/ for friend/ for family”), were good with their hands and minds, excelled at math and science, “and they danced.” When the lines recount how, in 1619, those ancestors were shackled and ferried across the Atlantic to Virginia on the White Lion, the authors clearly but non-graphically confront the horror of chattel slavery, emphasizing the resilience of the enslaved people who survived this impossible journey. Alternating between realistic and surreal images, Smith (World Cup Women) works in a saturated palette to create emotionally evocative scenes: dark, mostly monochrome tableaus convey tragedy or violence; brightly lit, multicolor palettes illustrate scenes of peace and joy. While detailing the specifics of an often-obscured history and its effects, this volume powerfully emphasizes that Black history is not merely a story of slavery and suffering but one of perseverance and hope. Ages 7–10. (Nov.)

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller 
An NPR Best Book of 2021
A TIME Magazine Best Children's Book of 2021
A Barnes & Noble Book of the Year finalist 
A Barnes & Noble Best Picture Book of 2021
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2021
A School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Book of 2021 
A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2021
An Evanston Public Library Great Book for Kids 2021: Poetry
A Chicago Public Library Best Informational Book for Older Readers of 2021
A News & Observer Best Book of 2021
An American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) Blog Best Book of 2021
An Amazon Best of November: Ages 6-8 of 2021 
An Amazon Best children’s book of 2021: Ages 6 to 8
A 2023 AAMBC Literary Award for Children Books/YA Author of the Year, Winner
A 2022 ILA Notable Books for a Global Society Award Winner 
A 2022 Irma S. Black Award Silver Medalist
A 2022 Bank Street College The Best Children’s Books of the Year 
A 2022 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for Children’s Poetry Winner 
A 2022 NCTE/CLA Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award Winner 
A 2022 SDUSMP Phillis Wheatley Book Award Winner 
A Seattle’s Child Best Book of 2022
A King County Library System Best Children's Book of 2022
A 2022 Cybils Award Winner (blog) 
An American Library Association 2022 Notable Children's Book
A 2021 Black Caucus of the American Library Association Best of the Best 
A 2022 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book 
An Indiana Read Aloud Selection 
A Maine Student Book Award Selection 
A Rhode Island Children’s Book Award Selection 
A Capitol Choices (DC) Master List Title 
A Volunteer State (TN) Book Award Selection 

PRAISE FOR THE 1619 PROJECT: BORN ON THE WATER

"A gift to Black Americans and everyone else who reads it." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Black history is not merely a story of slavery and suffering but one of perseverance and hope." ―Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"A stunning work, providing a glimpse into the history of the Black experience before and after the slave trade; the poetic language and breathtaking artwork will have a lasting effect on readers." ―School Library Journal, starred review

"Written in lovely and loving verse, with dynamic, expressive, and expansive illustrations that convey the emotional journey of a resilient people, this book provides a moving, informative answer to an essential question." ―Horn Book, starred review

★ 10/22/2021

Gr 2–5—An illustrated work on the 1619 Project for young readers, this adaptation begins with a school assignment. A young Black girl is told by her teacher to trace her roots, but she is not aware of her origins beyond a few generations. When she recounts this at home her grandmother responds by gathering the family members together to tell their story. Thus begins a visual journey back centuries to the Kingdom of Ndongo in West Central Africa, the birthplace of their ancestors, "They had a home, a place, a land, a beginning." The authors' storytelling is utterly hypnotic, revealing a vibrant community that once spoke their own language and flourished in building and trade. "They spoke Kimbundu, had their own words, for joy, for grow, for home." The opening pages radiate warmth, elation, and celebration through the artwork, which moves and dances along with the people. Sweeping brush strokes and earthy tones are splashed with a bright yellow. With the turn of the page, the triumphant atmosphere vanishes as terror envelops the community, artfully represented in dark mournful blues and deep fiery reds. Entire families are kidnapped and sent by white people to a new country sailing on the White Lion: "We were born on the water. We come from the people who refused to die." The horror of the voyage and the subsequent life in Virginia where these families became slaves is deeply felt through the evocative images. Chaotic sweeps of color are in balance with the smooth lines on the faces of the people who endured, resisted, remembered, and survived. Smith also adds African scarification pattern motifs throughout that create a striking textured effect. The narrative is told in a flowing verse that informs yet also stirs emotion. The lyrical text does not leave readers in despair but confident in the knowledge of the legacy so many Black people forged, "Never forget you come from a people of great strength," Grandma says, "Be proud of our story, your story." VERDICT A stunning work, providing a glimpse into the history of the Black experience before and after the slave trade; the poetic language and breathtaking artwork will have a lasting effect on readers.—Claire Moore, Manhattan Beach Lib., CA

Poet and narrator Nikole Hannah-Jones recounts the history and consequences of enslavement for Black Americans in this audiobook. With soothing and unobtrusive sound effects, she details the culture and traditions of West Africans before they were enslaved. Her narration is joyful while celebrating the origins of Black Americans and the resilient people they descend from. Her tone becomes appropriately sharp as she reminds listeners that Black Americans did not descend from immigrants but from kidnapped peoples. Her lovingly delivered author’s note at the end touches on her hope that Black American children “come away empowered by the knowledge that there is no shame in descending from American slavery.” A.K.R. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

★ 2021-09-24
A celebration of Black Americans for young readers, derived from Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Project.

Told in a series of poems that create a narrative, the story opens with a young Black girl given a school assignment to trace her ancestry. Despondent, she tells her grandmother about her shame at being unable to complete the assignment. Grandma then tells the story of their ancestors. Refreshingly, that story starts pre-enslavement, in West Central Africa: “Their story does not begin / with whips and chains. / They had a home, a place, a land, / a beginning. / … / Before they were enslaved, they were / free.” Several spreads are dedicated to celebrating the ancestors’ language, skilled hands, sharp minds, joyful hearts, and amazing dancing. When enslavement enters the narrative, authors and illustrator strike a balance between presenting an honest picture and consideration for young readers. Smith’s evocative, vibrant art is full of emotion and motion. Colors and images speak volumes, while characters are portrayed with dignity, even in the worst circumstances. A significant portion of the story focuses on this period and how the ancestors survived and made a home in the United States. Poems “Resistance” and “Legacy” round out the narrative until reaching a conclusion for the character the book opened with in “Pride.” Compression of 400-plus years of history leads to some oversimplification, but overall it is a tremendous achievement.(This book was reviewed digitally.)

A gift to Black Americans and everyone else who reads it. (authors' note, illustrator's note) (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)