Hughes, L., & Collier,
B. (2012). I, too, am America. New
York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Reading level: Lexile not available
Interest level: Grades 1 - 5
“I, too, sing America” begins
this book and Hughe’s poem, alongside a railcar as it speeds through cotton
fields. Hughes’ compact poem is presented one line at a time for maximum
impact, and the train in the first part of the book is used as a microcosm of
America, where “the darker brother” works in a hot kitchen or gathering the mail,
records, newspapers and other ephemera left behind by the wealthy patrons that
once pored over them in plush-backed chairs. “But I laugh/And eat well/And grow
strong.” The railway employee releases a pile of refuse to the wind, where it
wafts above crops and lands in the lap of a delighted field hand, who will
learn from the rare printed material; other papers fly all the way to a city
railcar, which is populated by “regular” people trying to get home or to work
or the department store. It seems that time has passed, and we’ll maybe see if
black America
is “at the table/When company comes.” Those at the train still clutch at the
flying papers, hungry for the knowledge they offer. Finally, we find a boy
under the protective, contemplative gaze of his mother; the boy stares out the
window at the cityscape, and the American flag superimposed over the image
makes the blue sky look like its filled with childlike oversized stars. The
next two-page illustration spread is so beautiful, it’s no wonder the publishers
abbreviated it for the cover. I know that I will probably lose my blasé hipster
street cred for even mentioning this, but I couldn’t help but think about
Trayvon Martin when I look at this boy’s large plain white shirt, defiant eyes,
and slightly irreverent smirk and the matched declaration, “I, too, am
America.” I think about Trayvon’s mother, too, and the challenges faced by
black American mothers. I’m sure it seems so poignant and related because of
George Zimmerman’s recent acquittal, but nonetheless, I find this book – which
was meant to be hopeful – heartbreaking. Collier’s images use a combination of
collage, finely detailed drawings and superimposed images to create a depth of
interest and meaning for the reader. This book could be used in the upper
grades to introduce poetry, especially since the visual symbols in this book
are quite poetic. Obviously, this book would be very helpful to accompany a
unit on civil rights.
