Heart and Soul-The Story of America and African-Americans

This book received effusive praise from the sacred cows of the industry and I assumed that it was a huge commercial hit as a result, especially considering its subject matter. But finding that it was lodged at a humble #12,000 on Amazon, I decided  it needs one more crow.

The photo realism of the illustration is what impressed me immediately and I can’t stop leafing through the pages. The paintings educe figures of various time periods, as if old photographs have been digitally enhanced and color added. Nelson includes both the famous and the prototypical, painting them in subtle detail and adding a kind of shimmer. To a reader with some knowledge of the various eras covered in the book, the illustrations themselves are narrative.

The text is dense and detailed for a picture book, a thick 101 pages, not something you could read aloud in one sitting. Early readers will enjoy the visuals and an adult reader can summarize the story on each page. Older readers may find it appealing as well, especially reluctant readers.  I’d guess that even middle schoolers might sneak this book, both for the commanding images and for an enjoyable and easy-to-digest overview of chronological African American history.

At first I was rather taken aback by the narrative voice with its sass and use of  “chile” and “honey” in addressing the reader. But quickly I got to sitting back and listening to history as story, rather than as a  lecture by Ben Stein. In each chapter the narrator weaves together the significant events of the era (slavery, Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance) with her own personal experience, or with that of a family member, friend, or even a stranger.

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans is published by Balzer+Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. I really don’t want to return this book to the library.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.