The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

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The Undefeated Book Cover

The Undefeated, a book based on a poem originally published on 2019, written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. This book has won three awards from the American Library Association Monday. [1] This book has an illustration photo-realistic oil paintings by Kadir Nelson which are the highlight of the book. [2]

Summary

The Undefeated is a non-fiction history-in-verse by Kwame Alexander written for children aged six to twelve. The book, which is written as a long poem in Alexander's signature style, recounts the genuine accounts of noticeable African Americans who assumed a critical part in American history and past. The illustrator paints most of the figures noted in the poem and includes a record of chronicled figures and occasions for young readers to investigate as they read. The Undefeated remembers numerous generally referred to figures for black history – Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and others. Also keen on investigating black literary history, Alexander references modernist poet Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, and other prominent thinkers whose work affected him and numerous other young black artists. Some other less generally referenced names are raised in Alexander's poem. He makes it a highlight to honor the neighbors, revolutionaries, activists, and other anonymous heroes who lived and died in obscurity,yet who saved lives, helped kids, and by and large endeavored to battle for African American rights in the Civil Rights Era and past. Alexander additionally discusses police viciousness in the modern era, making a dedication for Sandra Bland and Michael Brown,among others lost to police brutality. [3]

one of the pages in The Undefeated Books

Controversy

The book addresses the horror of slavery, the violence of the civil rights movement, and the police brutality of today. The most moving portion of the book involves three pages illustrating: “This is for the unspeakable.” The first of these three spreads, unobtrusive and amazing, copy a drawing from the 1780s of the hold of a slave boat and shows men's bodies laying next to each other, edge to edge, looking like designed African fabric until one looks closer. The second incorporates outlined representations of the four little girls killed in the Birmingham Church bombarding, with pieces of glasses covering their sweet faces. The last shows an unconstrained remembrance of youth killed in recent police brutality. The truth of these occasions can't be denied and adds trustworthiness and profundity to the story, in any case doesn't degrade the general positive message of the book. [4]

Pros

This book is full of poems that are a love letter to black life in the United States. It features the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the coarseness, energy, and persistence of a portion of the world's most noteworthy heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while focusing on the perseverance and soul of those enduring and flourishing in the present. [5] The Takeaway gives a review and says, "An empowering look at the history of black Americans."[6] It can be shared with children as young as preschoolers, as an introduction to both American and Black-American history. For older students, it can serve as a springboard to understanding history through individuals or groups. The book's back issue incorporates an explained rundown of recorded figures and occasions included in the book. The book can be used as a treasured by parents and children, as well as being a powerful teaching tool for the elementary classroom. [7]

References

  1. https://theundefeated.com/features/childrens-book-the-undefeated-wins-caldecott-and-two-other-awards/
  2. Duncan, Elizabeth. https://www.supersummary.com/the-undefeated/summary/. In the Writer's Web. 18 March 2020. Retrieved January 29 2021.
  3. The Undefeated Summary. Super Summary. Retrieved January 29 2021.
  4. Duncan, Elizabeth. https://www.supersummary.com/the-undefeated/summary/. In the Writer's Web. 18 March 2020. Retrieved January 29 2021.
  5. The Undefeated. Goodreads. Retrieved January 29 2021.
  6. The Undefeated. Amazon. Retrieved January 29 2021.
  7. Duncan, Elizabeth. https://www.supersummary.com/the-undefeated/summary/. In the Writer's Web. 18 March 2020. Retrieved January 29 2021.