I Got Community

Ages 5^-8. Stylistically similar to the duo's I Got a Family (1993), this exuberant book shows that it's the little things we do for one another that make a community: "I got a neighbor, helps me near, / makes pizza pie and calls me dear." In addition to the usual neighborhood helpers (fireman, policewoman), the rhyming conversational text points to individuals like a baby-sitter and best friend ("Sees that I'm never left behind, / Studies my face and reads my mind" ), who inform a child's daily life. Like the verse, the brightly colored and thickly lined faux naive paintings have a surface simplicity that belies a more sophisticated artistry. Because each character is introduced by a different narrator, however, the racial and religious diversity shown in the pictures seems somewhat forced. The celebration concludes with the sense of security and belonging that a supportive environment encourages: "Countin' on them like family, / And I'm here to tell 'em `Count on me!'" Julie Corsaro

Using the same vernacular as in I Got a Family, Cooper brings a somewhat heavier touch to these verses about the meaning of community. Several young narrators deliver various rhyming stanzas ("I got a best friend, helps me loyal./ We got a thing no fight can spoil"; "I got a sitter, helps me safe,/ Pulls on my gloves so my hands don't chafe"). Illustrating these are Gottlieb's bright, simple paintings, rendered in gestural outlines and brushed-in areas of undiluted color, and depicting a multiracial crew. Included are the kind neighbor who "broke a fence slat so I could fit through," a store clerk, a policewoman and fireman, and a librarian. Three images represent Jewish and Christian "clergy folks" and except for yarmulkes, Gottlieb wisely omits most religious symbols; nevertheless, the emphasis remains racial-not religious-diversity. Cooper's idiosyncratic language can be vexing and, unlike her previous work, the results seem forced. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.