Ringgold, F (2015). Harlem Renaissance Party. HarperCollins.
Summary
Faith Ringgold uses her talent as an artist to illustrate a wonderful time in history, the Harlem Renaissance. As Harley and his Uncle Bates take a 'trip' to 1920's Harlem so that Harley can understand the importance of the era. As they travel, Uncle Bates explains why each person they meet and talk to are important to the period, or why they are famous for their work. At the end, Harley is able to understand that the Harlem Renaissance was where the 'giants' lived.
A Teacher's Perspective
I feel like this book could have been more, story wise, but the illustrations are exactly what needed to be created to show what the Harlem Renaissance was all about. What I especially loved, however, was the section in the back of the book where each person Harley meets is explained a little bit more. Ringgold took the concept and tried to make it more interesting, and this would be a wonderful introduction to a Black History Month research topic. This creative way of teaching about important historical figures is a great way to show students who they can study and learn from, and who made contributions during the era.
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