Splendiferous

You oughta meet Danitra Brown
the most splendiferous girl in town.

This is just a little post on Poetry Friday to say that you oughta check out Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes, as well as the sequels.

They aren't verse novels, but a collection of poems told in the voice of a young girl, almost all about her best friend. The language and rhythm and rhymes are catchy, but the situations and feelings are raw and real, both sad and joyous. All in all, it's stuff kids love while, at the same time being GOOD LITERATURE. (Am I the only one who says "GOOD LITERATURE" in a booming doom-and-gloom voice?)

I also love the pictures by Floyd Cooper. These girls looks real, like the ones on my library. Hair slightly messed from running all over the neighborhood, crazy fashion choices, and entirely realistic.

It's another great book for those of us looking for books featuring characters that just happen to be African-American, but the book doesn't focus on race.

Also, isn't splendiferous the greatest word ever?

round up is over at Under the Covers!