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A review by pattydsf
Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes
4.0
Beginnings
How did I get here
at the edge of the desert,
at the edge of tomorrows,
as pale as sand?
Oh, yes!
I was born.
That’s how it all began.
I have known of Grimes for a long time. She has an excellent reputation as a poet and collector of stories. I wasn’t a children’s librarian, but I paid attention to good authors and books. However, I don’t think I had read any of her works until this year. Earlier, in January, I read a collection of poems and artwork that she had put together about the Harlem Renaissance and enjoyed it quite a bit. This book was more of a whim. I read something about it, found it on Hoopla and had it read before the end of the day.
I am so impressed with Grimes’s imagination. Not only did she see that there could be comparisons between Ismael and a boy of the 21st century, but she put their stories into verse. That made this “simple” story so powerful. This was about 200 pages with plenty of white space and compelling words. I see Ismael and contemporary blended families in a new light.
Apparently, Grimes did the same kind of story with Mary, Jesus’s mother. I may try to find that story too. It will be interesting to see the parallels in that tale.
How did I get here
at the edge of the desert,
at the edge of tomorrows,
as pale as sand?
Oh, yes!
I was born.
That’s how it all began.
I have known of Grimes for a long time. She has an excellent reputation as a poet and collector of stories. I wasn’t a children’s librarian, but I paid attention to good authors and books. However, I don’t think I had read any of her works until this year. Earlier, in January, I read a collection of poems and artwork that she had put together about the Harlem Renaissance and enjoyed it quite a bit. This book was more of a whim. I read something about it, found it on Hoopla and had it read before the end of the day.
I am so impressed with Grimes’s imagination. Not only did she see that there could be comparisons between Ismael and a boy of the 21st century, but she put their stories into verse. That made this “simple” story so powerful. This was about 200 pages with plenty of white space and compelling words. I see Ismael and contemporary blended families in a new light.
Apparently, Grimes did the same kind of story with Mary, Jesus’s mother. I may try to find that story too. It will be interesting to see the parallels in that tale.