1. Bibliography
Nelson, Kadir. 2011. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. New York: Balzer + Bray. ISBN 978-0-06-173074-0
2. Plot Summary
Written in the voice of an African American senior who talks to her audience as if she’s talking to her own grandchildren, Heart and Soul tells the extensive history of the African American people. The story begins with the exportation of African laborers, slavery, abolition, the Civil War, Reconstruction, westward expansion, the Great Migration, and the Harlem boom, and goes on to detail the history of African Americans in World War II, Jim Crow, civil rights, and—most recently—the election of the first African American president. This 100-page monument to the strength of the African American people is written in twelve chapters, with detailed oil paintings accompanying the written history on every page. The book also includes an author’s note, an extensive timeline and bibliography, and a handy index in the back.
3. Critical Analysis
Kadir Nelson takes pride in his heritage, a pride that is apparent in his striking illustrations of strong-willed African Americans—people like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and even sharecroppers and schoolteachers who, though treated unfairly, stand up nobly and seem to look the reader in the eye. Nelson’s focus on the faces of his subjects allows readers to feel a sense of personal connection to the African Americans of history and respect their dignity, even in appalling circumstances.
Though Kadir Nelson’s story explains heavy topics like the founding fathers’ views on slavery, the animalistic treatment of slaves, and the Klu Klux Klan, the tone of the story’s narrator is matter-of-fact—never contemptuous or bitter. The reason to tell the tale is, in the words of this grandmotherly storyteller, to “know where you come from so you can move forward” and to “make the American promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness a reality for all Americans.” This isn’t a book of anger, although parts of it will rightly make readers angry. It’s a book to educate, to uplift, and to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
The book wears Black culture on its sleeve, shown most strikingly through its notable use of “oral speak”— the African American senior narrates her story as if her readers are her own grandchildren gathered around her knee. When she notes that the white colonists decided to rebel against English because they didn’t want to be slaves to the king, she says (with a wry hint of irony in her voice that’s almost palpable), “Chile, what in the world could they ever know about that?” Her authentic pseudo-oral narration pays tribute to the African American oral tradition of storytelling, passing down wisdom and history from generation to generation, even when reading and writing was relegated only to the white folks.
The first illustration of Heart and Soul is a painting of scores of Americans of all colors, races, genders, and religions, linking arms around an American flag. Nelson’s point, shown through his words and illustrations, is clear: America and its citizens are best when all of us stand together.
A book that allows children to gain a more nuanced perspective of American history, Heart and Soul is a must-have history book for children in higher elementary and middle school.
4. Rewards and Review Excerpts
Cybils Award, 2011, Nominee, Children’s Nonfiction
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, 2012, Nominee
White Ravens Award, 2012, Winner, United States
NPR’s Book Concierge Pick, 2011, Kids
From Kirkus: In an undertaking even more ambitious than the multiple-award-winning We Are the Ship (2008), Nelson tells the story of African-Americans and their often central place in American history. . . . This intimate narrative makes the stories accessible to young readers and powerfully conveys how personal this history feels for many African-Americans.”
From Booklist: “Nelson, the creator of We Are the Ship (2008), recipient of both a Coretta Scott King Author Award and a Robert F. Siebert Medal, adds to his notable titles with this powerful view of African American history.”
5. Connections
Create a display of nonfiction African American history books for children and young adults, such as the following selections:
- Crowe, Chris. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. ISBN 9780451478726
- Beals, Melba Pattillo. Warriors Don’t Cry. ISBN 9780671899004
- Bridges, Ruby. This Is Your Time. ISBN 9780593378557
- Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March: Book Three. ISBN 9781603094023
Create a display of Heart and Soul and other books written and/or illustrated by Kadir Nelson, such as the following selections:
- We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. ISBN 9780786808328
- Nelson Mandela. ISBN 9780061783746
- He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. ISBN 9780803728509
- Levine, Ellen. Henry’s Freedom Box. ISBN 9780439777339
- Alexander, Kwame. The Undefeated. ISBN 9781328780966
- Napoli, Donna Jo. Mama Miti. ISBN 9781416935056
*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.