Let It Shine

by Ashley Bryan

Book Overview

Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan celebrates three favorite spirituals in this colorful and joyous picture book.

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine,
let it shine,
let it shine.

Come, sing, and celebrate the power of the beloved songs "This Little Light of Mine," "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In," and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" through kaleidoscopic...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689847327
• ISBN13: 9780689847325
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 10.3" x 11.6"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

ASHLEY BRYAN IS BEAUTIFUL

In Ashley's note at the end of the book, he says about LET IT SHINE, "...in an effort to create the most forceful illustrations that will capture the underlying meaning of the Spiritual" He achieved his goal. The songs are familiar. The art is soaring.

Let the sun shine in

You could take the amount that I know about African-American spirituals and fit it into the hollow of the ear of a flea with room to spare, I think. Put bluntly, I don't know much. As far as I can figure it my spiritual knowledge begins with the song "This Little Light", continues through "When the Saints" and ends somewhere around "In His Hands". Awfully considerate of Mr. Ashley Bryan to select those three songs in particular for his picture book collection of three classic spiritual songs then, eh? Earlier in the year I sent out a query asking for people to tell me about the books that could win the Caldecott and the title that got the most mentions was "Let it Shine". A book that I had not A) Heard of or B) Seen. I'm correcting this great wrong right now and though I'm not the kind of person who normally goes gaga over cut paper, Mr. Bryan has done some pretty slick stuff with just some colored pulp, a pair of scissors, and some of the finest folk songs in the world. From the very first page Ashley Bryan's vibrant images just leap at you. Three spirituals vie for your attention. In "This Little Light of Mine" children are seen carrying lights in all kinds of containers and sources as the words to the song appear below. With each verse, Mr. Bryan finds an eclectic way to bring these lyrics to life. The same can be said for the other songs as well. Within an ever shifting series of hues, tones, shades, and colors, people are seen praying and singing. They laugh and dance. "Oh When the Saints Go Marching In" shifts from light to dark and the book ends with a blow-out production of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". I was first introduced to Mr. Bryan's work years ago when he wrote the Coretta Scott King Award winning title, Beautiful Blackbird. For some reason, at that time I never really realized what kind of paper the man worked with. Not fancy self-pressed sheets of tissue or lacey linens. No, Mr. Bryan is a master of a material that even the youngest child will instantly recognize: construction paper. I mean, it's pretty cool when you sit down and think about it. Art teachers and Sunday school teachers could probably have a field day with this book. They could charge their own kids to come up with their own stories or images with the songs that they like. There are possibilities galore. I was grateful for the back matter in this book too. If you're going to make a title that consists wholly and entirely of three songs then it would be a crime not to include a little sheet music in there. Sheet music there is, and ah-plenty. A short note from the author too, explaining the roots of Spirituals and their importance. And of course the endpapers of this book are practically worth the price of admission alone. In both the front and the back of the book are two hands, undulating and reflecting a host of different colors. It all looks so straightforward until you notice that Bryan has been able to create the i

His Mother's Scissors

Of the thousands of Spirituals created by African-American slaves, Ashley Bryan chose to illustrate three of his favorites -- "This Little Light of Mine," "Oh ,When the Saints Go Marching In," and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." He took two pairs of scissors inherited from his mother and colored papers and created exquisite collage illustrations bursting with color that sweep and swirl across double-page spreads. The artist, who frequently works in primary colors, has chosen a different palette of exciting, compelling,complimentary colors with yellows and golds, blues and purples, and browns predominating. Without a speck of white background showing through, his stylized, multi-layered collages of flora and fauna, and people, mostly children in silhouette, dance across the pages. On one spread, illustrating the verse, "Don't let Satan blow it out," two candle-holding children in bright colors face a swirling mass of cool grays, blues, and greens. It represents Satan trying unsuccessfully to blow out the children's lights. It looks ominous without being frightening. Filled with meaningful images, such as the image for God from the Ibo people of Nigeria, Bryan has an original, unequaled mastery of form and color. This book is a tour-de-force that is as beautiful from a distance as it is close up.

Let It Shine

This is a beautifully illustrated presentation of three spirituals. Ashley Bryan uses cut-paper collage masterfully to show the message behind the lyrics. These illustrations offer many opportunities for discussion. The three spirituals are ones familiar to most children: This Little Light of Mine, When the Saints Go Marching In, and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. The book is a wonderful way to make a connection between the library and music class and is especially effective in the younger grades. During Black History Month, it is a wonderful way to show the great influence of African American music in the American musical experience.