Rock of Ages

by Tonya Bolden, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)

Overview

In her moving homage to the Black Church, Tonya Bolden has written a poem spanning centuries of oppression, freedom, prejudice, and joy. From times when slaves worshipped secretly in fields at night to the grand city churches of today, the Church has been there to help its community, inspire its congregants, and teach us what is possible when people join together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307793386
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	12/19/2012
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

TONYA BOLDEN is the author of the children’s book Through Loona’s Door: A Tammy and Owen Adventure with Carte G. Woodson. Her books for teenagers include the novels Mama, I Want to Sing (co-authored with Vy Higginsen) and Just Family; the anthology Rites of Passage: Stories About Growing Up by Black Writers from Around the World; and a collection of biographies of ten epic women, And Not Afraid to Dare. Her books for grown-ups include The Book of African American Women: 150 Crusaders, Creators, and Uplifters. She is a native New Yorker.

R. GREGORY CHRISTIE is the illustrator of Only Passing Through by Anne Rockwell, for which he received his second Coretta Scott King Honor Award.

Editorial Reviews

"Bolden's impressionistic poem is a paean to the strong religious tradition that has provided generations of African-Americans with guidance, solace, refuge, sustenance and inspiration," said PW. "Christie's collage-like illustrations capture the energy and passion of the individuals celebrated in this emotion-charged work." Ages 5-8. (Dec.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A poetic tribute to the sustaining power of the Black Church. Free verse celebrates the institution in its many incarnations from its beginnings on the plantations (when "she was / invisible... / her roof nightsky, / her flooring Godgrown pastures walled by woods... ") and emphasizing the leaders and artists it has nurtured. Bolden's (And Not Afraid to Dare, 1998) language is frequently labored, employing an unfortunate inverted syntax-"Multitudes she has mothered / in times of dense distress... " and "wasn't it she who raised in singles / and change much money"-that can stop readers in their tracks in order to decipher the meaning. Nevertheless, the work retains a heartfelt passion for its subject that is genuinely inspiring: "When we were the not-alloweds / and go-to-the-back-door people, / she was a warm place to be.... " Christie's (DeShawn Days, p. 868) bright, primitive-looking illustrations are bursting with expressive energy: on one page an old woman stares out through her glasses, challenging the reader to pity her; on another, members of a congregation raise their hands in glad chorus. Notes on the historical events or personages alluded to in the poem appear at the end with thumbnails of the relevant illustrations; an author's note explains the genesis of the poem itself. Although somewhat ungainly at times, it's ultimately moving. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews