That Is My Dream

That Is My Dream

Picture book
Some of today's picture books do nothing less than take one's
breath away. That Is My Dream with text by Langston Hughes and
illustrations by Daniel Miyares is a perfect example.
Hughes was one of the most important writers of the Harlem
Renaissance. In 1926 his first book, The Weary Blues, was published.
It included a poem titled Dream Variation. Decades later, as a teen
growing up in South Carolina, Miyares encountered and was hugely
impressed by Hughes' poetry. "...His work showed me a version of the
American experience I had never seen before, and I was profoundly
moved. For the first time, I understood the raw power of poetry--its
ability to peel back a facade and reveal deep truths that may be hard
for us to see."
A little boy goes through a day in a segregated community. He
and his mom and sister have really different experiences than a white
family. You can see from the pictures that the children are curious
about each other.
The next part of the book shows what the boy wishes for: a
world in which the children come together "freely and joyously."
On a personal note, step by step I'm getting closer to my dream. It
still hasn't really sunk in that I will start classes--even though
it's in just weeks.
A great big shout out goes out to the other students and professors
who soon will be part of my world.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod