I understand that Bryan took some liberties with the original tale, which was more of a condemnation of vanity - the other birds being more concerned with how they look, than how they behave - than an affirmation of self esteem. Unfortunately, the narrative of Beautiful Blackbird wasn't as appealing as the illustrations.
The inclusion of images of the artist's scissors - which once belonged to his mother - on the decorated endpapers, is a particularly nice touch. Created using a cut-paper collage technique, it is colorful and immediate, with a sense of motion that suits the rhythmic narrative. The artwork is just gorgeous, and fully deserved the Coretta Scott King Illustrator's Award that it received. His many folktale adaptations, in particular, have been tempting me of late, so I am especially disappointed that Beautiful Blackbird - supposedly a retelling of a traditional tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia - didn't impress me more.įirst though, the good news: this is a beautiful book, visually speaking. Find more information to plan your visit.With over thirty children's books to his name, many of them award-winning explorations of the African-American experience, Ashley Bryan is an author whose work I have long wanted to read. Visitors from outside the Penn community must present a a current, valid government or school-issued photo I.D. Penn faculty, staff, and students must swipe their PennCard for access. Weekend visits may be arranged by prior appointment: please contact Lynne Farrington, Kislak Center: or 21. This exhibition is free and open to the public and located in the Goldstein Gallery on the 6th floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries.
This exhibition explores his century-long story, the story of one man - seeking his place in a world that did not always welcome him, finding himself through observation and expression, and using his creative gifts to make sense of his life and to help others to do the same. In 2019 the Ashley Bryan Center donated the archive of the renowned artist, author, and humanitarian Ashley Bryan, who died last year at the age of 98, to the Kislak Center at the Penn Libraries.
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