Ashley Bryan reviews

Ashley Bryan Words to My Life’s Song; illus. by the author, with photos by Bill McGuinness
     64 pp. Atheneum
     Reviewed 1/09
Call it, with a smile, an Ashley Bryan infomercial. In a combination of vintage and documentary photographs, original artwork and illustrations from his books, biographical narrative and lyrical evocations of life on a Maine island, Bryan lays out his course as a creative force—in the studio or the classroom, with paint or stained glass or objects found in the street. Readers will learn of his setbacks and disappointments en route to his “discovery” by Atheneum editor Jean Karl; his tenaciousness; his commitment not only to artistic prowess but also to philosophic understanding. The book’s format does not do justice, regrettably, to Bryan’s resulting books. Double-page spreads of illustrations from one book or another are interspersed among the biographical matter with no identification save the formal credits on the last page, and sometimes no relation to the surrounding text; there’s a double-page collage of book covers, but no book list. And with this want of editorial rigor goes an excess of distracting graphic design. But the expansiveness and exuberance of Bryan and his work carry the day, regardless. Barbara Bader

Ashley Bryan Let It Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals; illus. by the author
     48 pp. Atheneum
     Reviewed 1/07
Using only cut-paper and clamorous, swirling, out-of-sight colors, Bryan sets three spirituals to pictures that are dynamic, monumental, and stirring. Throughout, the imagery is brilliant. Bryan has long been known for his exuberant decorative motifs, but in this instance, with three sets of lyrics that are themselves all imagery, his scope widens. With words and music appended: exciting, absorbing, immensely moving.

Ashley Bryan Beautiful Blackbird; illus. by the author
     40 pp. Atheneum
     Reviewed 3/03
Here's a life-enhancing folktale from Zambia--how birds got their black markings--and a simple, scissors-and-brush way of using collage. Silhouetted birds, in shades of violet, yellow, green, blue, are oddly drab without markings. Ringdove asks Blackbird, the most beautiful, to paint him a necklace of black; Blackbird complies, then promises the others touches of black, too. In sum, we can all partake of the beauty of black.

Ashley Bryan Sing to the Sun; illus. by the author
     32 pp. HarperCollins
     Reviewed 3/93
In his first book of original poetry, Bryan captures with lilting rhythm the vitality of African-American life and island life in the Caribbean. Paired with lush, vibrantly colored illustrations, the twenty-three poems in the collection cheerfully reflect nature, people, and heritage. Bryan's originality is indelibly stamped on the pictures, which, with their geometric shapes and double images, are more than they appear to be at first glance. The collection will appeal to all ages.

John Langstaff Climbing Jacob's Ladder: Heroes of the Bible in African-American Spirituals; illus. by Ashley Bryan
     24 pp. McElderry
     Reviewed 1/92
Nine heroes from the Old Testament are brought to life with Bryan's glorious paintings and Langstaff's selection of spirituals. Brief paragraphs capture the important aspects of each hero's story and connect it to the song, while the luminous illustrations capture the majesty of each Bible figure.

Ashley Bryan, selector All Night, All Day: A Child's First Book of African-American Spirituals; illus. by the author
     32 pp. Atheneum
     Reviewed 7/91
In a splendid new collection Bryan presents twenty spirituals. An exuberance of warm color and great variety in pattern and design distinguish the illustrations; Bryan's use of a clear, strong yellow adds radiance to a wholly gratifying book. Piano accompaniments and guitar chords included.

Ashley Bryan, reteller Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum; illus. by the author
     70 pp. Atheneum
     Reviewed 4/81
Five Nigerian folk tales retold in an infectious, rhythmic style and accompanied by strong, interpretive illustrations, chiefly in black and white with six full-page pictures in gold, black, and red. Even such prosaic information as publication data and the list of sources are integrated into the total elegant design through the judicious placement of illustrative material. The motifs and the story types—cumulative details and talking beast, droll, and pourquoi tales—are universal; the retellings make the stories unique, offering insight into the heart of a culture. And while the stories are linked by setting and format, each one has a style and a beat appropriate to the subject, the overall effect being one of a musical composition with dexterously designed variations and movements. Marvelous folk aphorisms are skillfully integrated into the narratives: For instance, the village elders—distraught by the constant destructive actions of the protagonists in “Why Bush Cow and Elephant are Bad Friends”—cry out, “’”When two big ones fight, it is the grass that suffers.”’” The use of repetition, rhyming phrases, and alliteration are but some of the poetic devices in a collection as pleasing to the eye as it is to the ear; the book is ideal for storytelling or reading aloud. M.M.B.

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