This Little Light of Mine

by Public Domain, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator)

Overview

Learn to play and sing a traditional African American gospel song with this fun and interactive book!

There is
a light inside of
YOU.
Let it shine,
let it shine,
let it shine!

“This Little Light of Mine” is an African American song dating back to the days of slavery. The score is included in this book so that you can learn to play and sing and shine your light for everyone to see.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689831799
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	01/01/2005
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

E.B. Lewis is the award-winning illustrator of such books as Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, which was a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, and This Little Light of Mine. He received the Caldecott Honor for Coming on Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for Talkin’ About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman by Nikki Grimes. E.B. Lewis lives in New Jersey, and you can visit him online at EBLewis.com.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 3-A visual interpretation of an African-American spiritual. It is morning when the book opens, and readers are greeted by a smiling boy. Throughout the day, he spreads his own special brand of joy wherever he goes. He gives a hug to a grandmotherly figure cooking in the kitchen, then goes for a walk, pausing to wave at a neighbor sitting on a porch. Next, he helps a woman whose groceries have fallen to the ground. He high-fives three elderly men sitting outside, and comes across a downcast boy whom he invites to join him to meet friends and play. When he returns home, he sits down to a family meal. The last illustration is of a darkened house with a light glowing from one of the windows upstairs. Lewis's watercolor illustrations across double pages effectively convey emotions of happiness and the giving and sharing of oneself. Compare and contrast this satisfying interpretation with Raffi's adaptation of the same title (Knopf, 2004).-Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

The well-known African-American spiritual serves as the text for this evocative interpretation, looking at one boy's cheerful personality as a shining light in his own neighborhood. The main character, an African-American boy in a sunshine-yellow shirt, always has a smile and a friendly wave for everyone. He hugs his grandmother, waves to the neighbors, and helps an older woman who has dropped her groceries. He also befriends a lonely boy and takes him along to the neighborhood basketball court, resulting in smiles all around and an expanded circle of friends. The uplifting text complements the gentle story effectively, and though there is no major action, the point is well-made that one person with a bright attitude can light up the world for those around him. Atmospheric watercolor illustrations create a rural setting full of big trees and sun-dappled pathways, along with characters with real personalities. The musical score is included. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews