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Review: There Was a Party for Langston

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Written by Jason Reynolds
Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Book.

Inspired by a photograph of famous writers Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka dancing at a party at the New York Public Library, this picture book is a celebration of the legacy of Langston Hughes. This book, as promised, is a party. It is joyful, resplendent, playful, and - above all - celebratory. A poem in a book, the text flows smoothly yet still creates whirlwinds of excitement around Langston Hughes -- his cultural impact is clearly felt. The verse pays homage to Langston Hughes, but still feels totally like Jason Reynolds. The illustrations move with the text in perfect syncopation and, in good tribute to the "King o' Letters," are often composed of colorful typographic call outs -- using verses from Hughes' poems. This is a book that celebrates words, but it also celebrates pictures and music and the cultural accomplishments of Black people in America. 

As we approach the end of the year, this book is getting a ton of buzz. It deserves it all and more.

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