At first I found the voice confusing. Was it a biography or a quote?

Once I got past that I read a good book with beautiful illustrations.

It’s a narrow path to walk- having books that are a true representation of black Americans without the critical race theory skewing them as is common today.

That makes it even more important to use discernment when selecting a title.

Five stars for art, no doubt. Kadir Nelson is really a genius illustrator, particularly his portraits, which are captivating and have this epic quality. How can an illustration just seem important in and of itself? I don't know, but these illustrations do. They're powerful.

Now on to the text: I love that Nelson took over 400 years of history and told the story in under 100 pages. To sit and read this book in one go feels like the entire history of this country is flashing before your eyes. The scope of it is awesome.

Of course, you can't really squeeze the whole "Story of America and African Americans" into 100 pages, can you? Not without leaving the reader feeling a little dizzy. And that's where I think the text runs into trouble. You have to skip over big stuff, and not really explain most things to satisfaction. It can be a little confusing and it has some bumpy transitions. Despite my complaints, the overall impact of the book is impressive. ( )

This book immediately sweeps the reader into the story giving the impression you are sitting at the feet of narrator who is about to tell you an extraordinary story. And it is. Author and illustrator Kadir Nelson takes the reader on a journey through history told from the African American viewpoint. Nothing is left out but even then there's a strong sense of identity and why we need to know who we are. Kadir Nelson in his author note describes how as an author and illustrator of history he felt the need to tell the whole story all at once. And then encourages his audience to go seek out their own family history and how it paralleled the American history version learned in school.

A sweeping epic, tracing the history of African Americans from the American Revolution to present day with immensely powerful and beauti - ful paintings that inspire deep thought and reflection.