Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, will go down in history. It is a "grand and awe-inspiring survey of the black experience in America, delivered in 108 pages with lushly painted illustrations. Using the device of a fictional family narrative, Nelson relays this history in the voice of an elderly black woman, a voice both personal and friendly as it describes the treatment of the woman’s family and of other African-Americans over the years" (Myers).
Outstanding book to use in history classes and to have for all ages; even if a student cannot read it, the pictures tell their own story: a real depiction of African Americans in America.
Winner of Coretta Scott King Award
Publishers Weekly Best Book
Genre: Informational, Historical Fiction
Themes: African American History, Equality, Justice, Prejudice
RESOURCES:
Book Talk by Kadir Nelson!
Lesson Plan
Myers, Walter Dean. "Sweet Land of Liberty." The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Nov. 2011. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/books/review/heart-and-soul-the-story-of-america-and-african-americans-written-and-illustrated-by-kadir-nelson-book-review.html>.