Parents' Guide to Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks

Book Suzanne Slade Picture Book 2020
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Common Sense Media Review

Mandie Caroll By Mandie Caroll , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Splendid biography of first Black Pulitzer Prize winner.

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What's the Story?

In EXQUISITE: THE POETRY AND LIFE OF GWENDOLYN BROOKS, we meet young Gwendolyn as her beloved father recites the poetry of Black writers to her every night. By age 7, Gwendolyn is writing her own poems. At 11, a local paper publishes some of her poems. Then another poem of hers is printed in a national magazine. Then the Great Depression hits, and poverty and hunger with it. Rejections, too. For a long time, no one wants to publish Brooks' poems. But she keeps writing. Brooks draws on her belief in an "ecstatically exquisite" future to persevere. One small success leads to another and another until, finally, in 1950, she wins the biggest prize for poetry in all the world: the Pulitzer. And what does she do? She keeps writing. Back matter provides context with an informative author's note, timeline, and bibliography.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
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Kids say : Not yet rated

This book is a delightful and inspiring account of the life of poet Gwendolyn Brooks. The story doesn't ignore her circumstances -- she's Black, poor, a woman, a mother, a poet subject to pre-civil-rights-era racism -- and it doesn't make her life a story of pulling herself up by her bootstraps, either. Brooks is simply and extraordinarily a Black woman, mother, wife, and so on, who cannot stop writing when there are stories to be told. Cabrera's acrylic illustrations are a visual feast. Thoughtful details add incredible depth, like the pink foam roller that wraps young Gwendolyn's bangs in one of the opening spreads to the baby son she holds as she looks out onto a busy street in Bronzeville. She seems to be collecting images, sounds, colors, and people to write about later, when she can take a break from mothering. The synergy between the free-verse text and the pictures makes for an intensely satisfying read. Young artists and writers can take heart from Brooks' determined example in this worthy biography.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the challenges and triumphs shown in Exquisite. How did Brooks overcome her challenges? Why do you think she was able to keep writing, even when no one wanted to publish her poems? What was her most important triumph? Why?

  • Talk about the character strengths Brooks showed throughout her life. How did curiosity and perseverance help her grow as a poet?

  • What do the illustrations tell you about Brooks' life? How do they support or reflect the text? Are there any details that really jumped out at you?

Book Details

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