Cumbayah

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 3AThis book combines the simple verses of this well-known spiritual with Cooper's glowing illustrations to tell a global tale far beyond the words. The pictures, oil wash on illustration board, begin with a circle of children sitting cross legged, joining hands, and singing the first verse. Each subsequent stanza is illustrated with page-encompassing paintings that show children and adults from around the world. (However, none of these places are identified in the book.) Youngsters are shown sleeping under trees; fishermen work throwing their nets; for the verse, "Someone's hurting, Lord" a child is shown covering his face as he crouches in hiding while bombs fly in the background; and a seemingly homeless pair sit in a doorway, illustrating the words, "Someone needs you, Lord." Many of the pictures have a circular flow to them as objects curve around the characters: a fishing net hovers in a semicircle over the fishermen. Children sleep beside trees whose trunks curve around them. The final line, "Oh Lord, Cumbayah" shows another group of children raising colorful banners above their heads. The book concludes with the words and music for the song. Although beautifully done, this is a message-laden book that will be useful, to be sure, for adults to teach children about tolerance and differences among peoples as well as similarities.AJane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From