Grimes, Nikki. One Last Word. Bloomsbury, 2017.
One Last Word includes works selected and created by Nikki Grimes and includes illustrated works by various artists. It is the Honor award winner of 2018 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and is among the “Best of 2017” lists by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal. It is a book of poems celebrating the work of poets who wrote during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and includes current works that will speak to today’s youth. It is targeted to children ages 10 to 14 years, but it is likely those beyond age 14 will find meaning in the prose.
The theme of the book is wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance. The many accolades will likely drive interest to this book. The book consists of 30 poems spread over 80 pages of text and images. It is divided into three parts: “emergency measures,” “calling dreams,” and “to a dark girl.” The reader will likely want to savor the combination of work.
The book has a balance of poems from the 1920s and current times. A classic poem is presented, followed by a new poem written by Ms. Grimes via the Golden Shovel form. This connects the two poems and gives the reader a different perspective on the topic. For example, “Common Dust” by Georgia Douglas Johnson reflects on the idea that all humans, regardless of color, will become dust. This piece is followed by “A Dark Date For Josh” by Nikki Grimes, which reflects on the complexities of interracial dating – despite that “in the end, every one of us is guaranteed to be just… dust” (p. 81).
There are 16 images featured in the book and each serve to complement the poem. For example, Pat Cumming’s image for “David’s Old Soul” shows the image of a boy with his mother underneath the river water, one of an older child with just his head emerging from the water, and a third of a young man chest out of the water leading the way. This captures the essence of the poems and connects the two without overpowering either one. While the images all connect with the poems, each piece is different. Sean G. Quall’s piece for “Common Denominator” has a modern art, abstract feel, while the piece created by Christopher Myers for “Lessons” has a penned, lined look.
The author includes a preface summarizing the purpose of the book, a summary of the Harlem Renaissance, and a description of the poetry form she uses to write the pieces in this book. At the end, the author includes biographies of the poets and the contributing artists, sources, and an index.
One Last Word demonstrates the Golden Shovel form of writing poetry, which could be incorporated into the English curriculum; but the meaningful messages relevant to teenagers could be used for Character Education. It gives readers a glimpse of past reflections and current prose on topics from love to self-acceptance for which the reader can reflect.
Book Notes 