God Bless the Child (picture book) explained

God Bless the Child
Author:	Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.
Illustrator:	Jerry Pinkney
Country:	USA
Language:	English
Genre:	Children's literature, picture book, Song
Published:	2003 (HarperCollins)
Media Type:	Print (hardback)
Pages:	32 (unpaginated)
Isbn:	9780060287979
Oclc:	45230462
Note:	Includes cd of song by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr.

God Bless the Child is a 2003 picture book by Jerry Pinkney with the words and music of Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. It is about an African-American family moving from the rural Deep South to urban Chicago during the Great Migration.

Reception

School Library Journal (SLJ), in a review of God Bless the Child, called it "A moving visual interpretation", wrote "The warm and sweeping illustrations are masterful, completely filling each spread. .. While a fine choice for independent reading, this title is particularly poignant when shared with a group, turning the pages in conjunction with the CD.", and concluded "This offering makes an excellent tie-in to units on African-American history."^[1] SLJ also recommended it "to enrich music classes".^[2]

God Bless the Child has also been reviewed by The Horn Book Magazine,^[3] Booklist,^[4] Publishers Weekly,^[5] Kirkus Reviews,^[6]

It was awarded a 2005 Coretta Scott King Award illustrator honor.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: God bless the child [sound recording (CD + book)]

   Reviews ]

   . catalog.wccls.org . February 19, 2017.
2. Web site: Legends and Unsung Heroes: Black History in Picture Books . Joyce Adams Burner . December 1, 2008 . slj.com . Media Source Inc. . February 19, 2017.
3. Web site: God Bless the Child . More gift book than picture book . kcls.bibliocommons.com . 45230462 . February 19, 2017.
4. Web site: God bless the child . Here, Pinkney gives the words strength and a sense of possibility . Buffalo and Erie County Public Library . February 19, 2017.
5. Web site: God Bless the Child . Repeated viewings reveal an extraordinary level of detail and a visual and narrative movement that echoes the family's journey. . January 1, 2004 . Publishers Weekly . PWxyz LLC. February 19, 2017.
6. Web site: God Bless The Child (starred review) . October 1, 2000 . With Holiday’s music and Pinkney’s art, this package sets expectations high—and doesn’t disappoint. .. The evocative recording on the CD ends too quickly; there is much to pore over and discuss here, and this remarkable work is worth picking up (and listening to) more than once. . Kirkus Reviews . Kirkus Media LLC . February 19, 2017.
7. Web site: Coretta Scott King Book Awards - All Recipients, 1970-Present . ala.org . 5 April 2012 . American Library Association . February 19, 2017.