This was such a beautiful book! I enjoyed all of the artwork and visuals that come with each poem. I think it will be a great book for school libraries. This will be a very special book that will speak life into children at a young age while also introducing them to a variety of well known poets.

This was such a beautiful book- both the poetry and the artwork. Though I teach middle school, I think this lovely picture book would still be perfectly at home and adored in a middle school library. The poetry selection is thoughtfully curated, and I love the way they’re grouped together- not by author or by publication date, but by themes that share artwork with each other in a seamless way. Contemporary and classic side by side (which I think also aids in helping students understand and feel less intimidated by classic poetry). This book is full of Black excellence, magic, power, and joy across a wide spectrum of identities, and I hope it finds its way into as many schools and homes as possible.

thank you to netgalley and publisher nosy crow inc for selecting me to read this beautiful book of illustrated black poetry as an arc reader.

it was a delight and this is one you're going to one to get in person because those illustrations are fantastic.

An easy 5 stars!

Stunning. From a poetry lover and writer. From a biracial woman and mother. From a book lover and art appreciator. This was a gorgeous collection from every angle. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy of this. It’s a must for my home library.

This book is many things.

- It is thoughtfully pulled together and organized (the indexes in the back are amazing)

- It is incredibly illustrated (huge credit to the illustrator (s) this was visually stunning and I only got to see it on my tablet screen)

- It is informative as much as it is impactful (The poems themselves but also - there are few pages of historical and informational context in the back of the book so if you needed more background on a poem you can navigate there to learn more about it)

One of my favorite parts of reading anything is being able to feel the time, effort and love that is poured into a book. I could feel that on every page of this book. This book that is comprised of 100 poems from Black voices brought me some of my favorite poems and many that were new to me.

My oldest son just finished his poetry unit in second grade. When I saw this book I knew it was something I had to read with him. He loved it, and asked me when we could buy it “for real”. My son and I are both half Black and have both in our own ways witnessed the disparity in highlighting positive Black contributions in public education. It’s our job to seek these things out and present them to our families so I am always so happy to have books like this to have at home.

This is a book for everyone. A beautiful and powerful book to add to your collection. An educational and joyful experience. I highly recommend.

*********

This book review will be published on Goodreads, StoryGraph, Instagram and Tiktok around 30 days prior to release as requested by the publisher. (September 1st or so). Links to reviews will be updated here. . The selection of poems offered some of my favorites and introduced me to many new ones.

My oldest son just finished his poetry unit in second grade. When I saw this book I knew it was something I had to read with him. He loved it, and asked me when we could buy it.

My son and I are both half Black and have both witnessed the disparity in highlighting positive Black contributions in public education. It’s our job to seek these things out and present them to our families.

This is a book for everyone. A beautiful and powerful book to add to your collection. An educational and joyful experience. I highly recommend.

****************************

This book review will be published on Goodreads, StoryGraph, Instagram and Tiktok around 30 days prior to release as requested by the publisher. (September 1st or so). Links to reviews will be updated here.

This collection of Black poetry from across the diaspora is a must for every home, school, and library. With beautiful illustrations and contemporary and classic poets, one will find a poem for many occasions and introduces people to poets who might be overlooked. I can envision this collection used as source for Black History Month (both February and October) and Poetry Month celebrations or to teach poetry wherever one has the opportunity. I especially appreciated the indexes and the way that ir provides information on the collection with ease. With the way that physical media is disappearing these days, this is an investment that can be passed down through generations. I know that I plan to gift this to several family members who are building their family libraries.

As an adult, I believed that I was not a fan of poetry. I don’t particularly like romantic poems, or classic poems, and I certainly don’t want to try and interpret them. Once I began working with children, I realized that I love poetry, I just like it better when it is marketed for children! Perhaps this is because I never lost my love for Shel Silverstein, perhaps I just need illustrations to feel like I understand poetry. Whatever the reason, I can now safely say that I enjoy poetry.

This is Not a Small Voice is a collection of black poetry. While labeled “for children” I argue that it is for everyone. I am certainly going to add this to my elementary school library. It fits well with our curriculum and represents many of my students. I think it is a great addition to any library as well as personal collections.

The illustrations are a stunning addition to these lovely poems. Yes, they are appropriate for young children but most will not understand them, Read this with your children, they can enjoy it and you can also be fully entertained.

Thank you to Net Galley and Nosy Crow Inc. for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a stunning collection of poetry from Black poets, present and past. These poems touch beautifully on many aspects of Black culture and are accompanied by absolutely gorgeous, vibrant art that brings the words to life. This is simply a treasure for children and adults alike.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a wonderful collection of poems for young readers, with poetry from an Own Voices perspective. From Langston Hughes to Gwendolyn Brooks, and many many more talented poets, this is a beautiful collection for reading with a loved one.

I recommend this for schools and libraries.

This is a beautifully selected collection of poetry by Black Poets with beautiful illustrations to go with it.
I love poetry and love introducing poetry to my children and children at the library. This is a collection that can be read and looked at over and over.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of This Is Not A Small Voice, featuring beautiful poetry collected by Traci N. Todd. The illustrations by Jade Orlando are breathtaking and the resounding message is that all children are beautiful and worthy.

Filled with gorgeous prose by well-known poets like Langston Hughes and less recognized but equally incredible voices, this is a collection that belongs on every classroom bookshelf.