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I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems Of American Slavery (2012)

by Cynthia Grady(Favorite Author)

4.06 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0802853862 (ISBN13: 9780802853868)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

review 1: Author Cynthia Grady was inspired to write this book of poetry reflecting both quilting design and the plight of African slaves in America while designing a quilting square to teach to a group of middle schoolers. Each poem is accompanied by a brief discussion of words and phrases from the poem, often including the author's inspiration from slavery times, the practice of Christianity by slaves and their use of spirituals to stay hopeful and share information, their use of quilting symbols as they planned escapes to freedom, and much more. Each poem is also illustrated with a quilt design and a painting by Michele Wood. A nice addition for students in grades 3 to 6. Includes author's and illustrator's note and a bibliography of further reading.
review 2: With my... more love of quilts, southern heritage, and appreciation for both poetry and art, this oversized offering from Eerdmans BYR must have the highest rating. Each free-verse poem is ten-by-ten (ten lines, ten syllables each) to mimc the structure of a quilt. Each left spread includes the title of a traditional quilt pattern, a poem, a strip of the quilt pattern, and a historic note about the role of quilts in slave history. The right side spread combines the abstraction of the pattern with an artistic image of the slave life that inspired it. Brilliantly done! less

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