My People

                by

Langston Hughes

photographs by

Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Corettta Scott King Book Award – 2010 Illustrator Award Winner

Hughes, L. (2009). My people. New York, NY: ginee seo books.

EXPOSITION: Charles R. Smith Jr. uses his photographs to illustrate different lines from a poem by Langston Hughes. 

CONFLICT: Both the poem and the photographs compliment the beauty they see in the black race.

RISING ACTION: Elements of nature are paralleled to the people’s nature and physical appeaerance.  

CLIMAX: The night and the stars are cited as being as beautiful as the faces and eyes of “my people.” 

FALLING ACTION: The sun and the souls of “my people” are considered equally beautiful.

RESOLUTION: The photographs depict a broad spectrum of ages found in both genders.

WAS THIS A WELL-ILLUSTRATED BOOK?  Smith’s photographs were strong enough to win the Illustrator Award.  They are interesting in their simplicity.  Each photo fills one or two entire pages, depicting a person’s face against a black background.  Each image is designed to depict a different line from Hughes’ poem that makes up the text of the book. 

PICTURE SOURCES:
lookingglassreview.com
moonphases.info
poets.org
blaine.org