Book review: Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace, by Ashley Bryan

Bryan, Ashley. Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace. Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum, 2019. $21.99 208p. ISBN 978-1-5344-0490-8. Ages 10-14. P8 Q10

This renowned award-winner artist and writer of children’s stories begins his autobiography when he was drafted at the age of 19 into World War II. Drawing his world of racial segregation in the war, he continued his childhood art to “survive the brutality” around him, much of it directed toward himself and other black soldiers. After putting away the artwork from his war experiences for over 60 years, Bryan now tells his story, complete with sketchbook-journal entries, handwritten to friend Eva, and artwork never made public before. Reproduced letters in the oversized book are made readable by reproduction in blue, small print.

Verdict: The warm, introspective personal narration is enhanced by a variety of media—watercolors, sketches in ink and charcoal, archival black and white photographs, documents, etc. that includes a poignant photograph of Bryan painting the flowers in the gardens of Little Cranberry Island where he lives. The artistic format beautifully brings out Bryan’s experiences. A must for all libraries in its view from the creator of classic children’s books and its perspective of being black in 20^th-century United States. The word “peace” in the title reflects not only the end of the war but also the memoir’s sense of Bryan reaching an inner peace.

May 2020 review by Nel Ward.

Book review: I Am Loved: A Poetry Collection, poems by Nikki Giovanni, selected and illustrated by Ashley Bryan

Giovanni, Nikki. I Am Loved: A Poetry Collection. Illustrated by Ashley Bryan. “A Caitlyn Dlouhy book.” Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018. $17.99. ISBN 9781534404922. Unpaged. Ages 6-10. P6 Q7

If you are looking for a collection of beautiful heartfelt poems that show love, this is the book for you. The message that you are loved comes through clearly, including young and old alike. Even though I do not think children will gravitate toward this book, children might like having the poems read to them. My favorite poem is the kidnap poem because it guides you through what would happen if you were “kid napped” by a poem.  The last page has a mirror so that the child can look in to see their own face. Some of the concepts will go over the heads of younger children. Illustrations include art from multiple eras: Tibetan mandalas, American quilts, Madhubani paintings and 1960’s psychedelia. As an adult, I appreciated many of the poems and the depth of them.

Verdict: This book combines art and poems with a focus on love and family. I recommend it for libraries with elementary age children and for public libraries.

February 2018 review by Tami Harris.