Wings by Christopher Myers

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Wings by was written and illustrated by Christopher Myers. He is the son of acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers, he credits his appreciation of the importance of images to observing the objects and photographs his parents would bring home from auctions and flea markets: “little histories;” “other people's memories that get left behind.” His own family images have had quite an impact, as well - as in a black-and-white photograph of his grandfather with a telling smile on his face [1] This book was published in October 01, 2000 by Scholastic Inc. This book is 40 pages long. [2]

Summary

Are you brave enough to be your true self? Ikarus Jackson is. But it isn't always easy. The people in his neighborhood point at his wings. The kids at school laugh. The teachers call him a distraction. One girl identifies with him, but she is too shy to speak up. Finally, when his classmates’ taunts send Ikarus drifting into the sky, the girl sets out in search of him, and so begins her own journey of self-discovery, leaving both of them transformed. This book teaches the children to be brave.[3]

Pros

A commented from the on of the reader, explained that the whole school,"whispered about his wings and his hair and his shoes. Like they whisper about how quiet I am." One girl tells Jackson that his wings are beautiful and stands up for him. That is enough to send Jackson flying high! It combines simple text with complex collage illustrations that would appeal to children of all ages. Artfully stylized, the book takes place in an urban setting with colorful multi-cultural representations of silhouette figures. The artwork is as intriguing as the story! Gypsy rated this five stars because she read it to a group of children African American at local elementary school. They all seemed to enjoy it. We had a discussion on differences and how people are often critical of our differences. It is our differences that make us unique. She was very impressed with the kids’ comments and their interest in the subject matter. [4]

References