I am completely and utterly taken aback and the beauty and simple brilliance that this book has to offer. The story line and the illustrations intertwine in the most elegant of ways. The illustrations can be used in so many ways and I can appreciate deeply how this book is an ode to black beauty and culture and bringing to light the history of black relevance in this world ( )

I thought this book was very interesting, for a few reasons. To begin with, the text was very abstract. In every line of the poem, the author refers back to one person as, “you”. The real identity of that person is never revealed, and it is left up to the reader’s interpretation. For example, “everywhere I turn I see you there, in the flat wetlands and on windswept coasts.” The constant use of the pronoun “you” makes the reader think that the author might be talking about one specific person, but really, he is not. The author uses “you” to refer to all people of color. Another thing I found to be interesting (not bad, or good), was the simplicity of the illustrations. They are all portraits drawn with a pencil, and they look as if they are just sketches. I liked this because it added a solemn feeling to the story. Had there been colorful images everywhere, it would have contradicted the emotion of the text. Additionally, in every portrait, the person in making a straight face. There are no smiles or faces filled with joy—I also thought that was interesting. The main message of this book is, from the mountains in South America, or the fields of Louisiana to the deserts of Africa, people of color have the same great heritage, and you can always see yourself in one another.

There are various reasons as to why I like this book. “I Saw Your Face” word choice wise is a book for children who are in first grade, but the meaning of the book is more comprehendable for those who are in the third or fourth grade. The main message of this story is that though there are African-Americans of various cultures from all around the world, their origin is still African. Realizing that there is a shared beauty and a shared heritage. The quote in this book that best shows the main message of this book is, “Don't care where you come from, as long as you're a black man, you're an African.” The poetic content in this book also captivated me because it enhanced the big idea of the story. The story would describe African-Americans all around the world. For example, one page describes an African-American girl from Benin and Ghana. Then it would go on to how she saw those same eyes in Kingston under a cocoa tree. The book also includes Louisiana and London. An example of the author's beautiful poetry that concludes the book beautifully is, “I see your face look back at me, Full of ancient stories and dreams, That tell me we have traveled far, And survived the journeys well.” ( )

The story was okay. Really, I was more captivated by the art then the poem. Reading the back cover of the book seemed to tie it all together for me. ( )