My Man Blue by Nikki Grimes
Grimes, Nikki. 2002. My Man Blue. Ill. by Jerome Lagarrigue. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN: 0-8037-2326-1.
Review
Nikki Grimes has crafted an entrancing collection of thought provoking poems encompassing a mysterious neighbor named Blue and his young counterpart, a boy named Damon. Her poetry touches on several prevailing themes in Damon's life - no father, a working mother, his need for a positive male role model, friendship, and trust. Through succinct language Grimes expertly fashions characters with strong virtues and second chances. Artist Jerome Lagarrigue, with rough finish acrylic on Canson paper, uses negative space and pale colors to separate the poetry from the much heavier and intense paintings of a quite aloof Blue and a vulnerable Damon, allowing the reader to focus much deserving attention on the details in the "gentle-giant's" hard to read expression. Very touching!
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