Beautiful Blackbird - Traditional Literature

Bibliography

Bryan, Ashley. 2003. BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-689-84731-9.

Plot Summary

            BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD is a folktale adapted from a story native to the Ila speaking peoples of Zambia. All the birds in Africa were different colors, but none had the beautiful blackness of the Blackbird, which the colorful birds craved. One day the birds all came together to celebrate when Ringdove (a grey dove) asked Blackbird to add black coloring to his body to make it more beautiful. Blackbird agreed, mixed up some blackening in his medicine gourd, and added a black ring to Ringdove’s neck. Soon, all the birds wanted black coloring on their bodies because they knew that black was beautiful.  Blackbird agreed to add some black color to all the birds. He adorned each bird differently, no two were alike. But Blackbird wanted the colorful birds to know that they were not like him and that “Color on the outside is not what’s on the inside.” 

Critical Analysis

            Ashley Bryan’s book has several elements common to Traditional literature. The setting of BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD is vague, only Africa itself is mentioned with no further delineation. Another common element of Traditional literature utilized in this story is that of the wish. All the birds in the story wish to have black marks on their bodies to be more like Blackbird. That wish is fulfilled, but the idea that each bird is unique is reinforced several times strengthening the point to children that they do not have to be like everyone else. They can be themselves and still be distinctive; it is not outside appearance that matters.

            However, Bryan’s book also deviates somewhat from the Traditional style of literature in that there is no concept of villain vs. hero. As a result, there is no conflict and no ultimate resolution of good vs. evil.  In addition, poetry is incorporated into the story in the form of songs. The birds sing songs about wanting to add black to their bodies. The poetry is the bird’s language. The poetry contains a lot of repetition. Because of this rhythmic song poetry, this book is intended to be read aloud to enable younger readers to not only hear, but feel the words.

Bryan’s intensely colorful illustrations were created out of paper using his mother’s scissors and crafted into the form of collages. Each bird is its own distinctive paper cutout placed onto a separate background. In addition, after Blackbird paints them each bird has diverse black markings, the markings themselves are separate pieces cut out and placed on top of the solid color birds adding to the individual uniqueness of each bird.

Review Excerpts and Awards

Coretta Scott King Book Award winner for illustrations 2004.

KIRKUS review 2002: “This telling, by the master storyteller, just aches to be read aloud; the lively rhythms keep the simple folktale rollicking along.”

BOOKLIST review 2003: “The overlapping collage images fill the pages with energy as the songlike responses of the birds tap out a rhythm punctuated with "uh-huhs."”
 Connections

•          One activity for young children would be for them to draw and cut out birds and then add black accents to them. This will help reinforce the message that everyone is unique and distinctive in their own way.
•       Children can also design simple bird costumes and create their own dances to go with the songs in the book.
•       Other African folktales include: ASHLEY BRYAN'S AFRICAN TALES, UH-HUH by Ashley Bryan ISBN 0689820763 and THE CLEVER MONKEY: A FOLKTALE FROM WEST AFRICA by Rob Cleveland with illustrations by Baird Hoffmire ISBN 0874838010.