Jump Back, Honey: The Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Book Overview

This joyous celebration of Paul Laurence Dunbar illuminates the beauty of Dunbar's poems. Young readers will rejoice in this vibrant collection, which resounds with a music all its own. Here, you'll find many poems that are considered classics -- "Little Brown Baby, " "When Malindy Sings, " "Dawn" -- and several others that have made Paul Laurence Dunbar one of the most cherished of American poets. A rich collection that is at once playful and poignant,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786804645
• ISBN13: 9780786804641
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 3

Customer Reviews

A wonderful tribute to a great American poet

"Jump Back, Honey: The Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar" combines several poems from this beloved African-American poet with illustrations from several different artists: Ashley Bryan, Faith Ringgold, and more. Dunbar (1872-1906) was an expert at writing poems in both a formal "literary" English and in a style that evoked African-American vernacular speech (this second type of poem was known as a "dialect" poem). This book includes excellent examples of both modes. A sample from a "dialect" poem: "Fiddlin' man jes' stop his fiddlin', / Lay his fiddle on de she'f."I liked how several different visual artists contributed to this book; this gives the book a nice sense of variety. My favorite illustrations include Jerry Pinkney's pictures, which are vibrant with color and energy, and Carole Byard's delicate picture that accompanies "The Sparrow."These are poems about nature, African-American culture, and the joys of love and family life. This book is an excellent choice for a multicultural children's book collection.

Jump back, honey

A versatile group of illustrators add flair to Paul Laurence Dunbar's poetry. Faith Ringgold's portrait of Frederick Douglass gives additional power to "Douglass". Jerry Pinkney's illustrations capture the playfulness and sass of "A Negro Love Song"; and "The Colored Band". Both Carole Byard's and Jan Spivey Gilchrist's illustrations add contemporary color and meaning to this anthology. The notes list brief biographical information on Dunbar and some background data on the title of this book. Some facts about the illustrators are also included in this collection of poems. This book can be used for school and church performances and plays.