Author Faith Ringgold
Publisher Scholastic Inc.
ISBN 0-590-46381-0
Tar Beach is an imaginative story that takes place on the tarred roof top of a building in 1930’s Harlem. No you will not need your bathing suit if you go to tar beach, only your imagination. Here, Cassie Louise Lightfoot and her family spend many nights hanging out on their rooftop, overlooking the city lights. I picked this book because I used to hang out on the rooftop of my cousins apartment building in Manhattan. How wonderful it was to look at all the bright, twinkling lights. There is a feeling of freedom that comes with being out there, over looking the city. I think that is why Faith Ringgold gave Cassie the ability to fly. What can be freer than that? As Cassie flies over the city, she dreams of many things that she wishes for herself and her family. I have often had dreams in which I was flying, and who wouldn’t want the ability to fly. Just think of the possibilities. For Cassie, she wanted to own the George Washington Bridge because her dad helped to build it. It did not matter to her that her dad was not allowed to join the union because of the color of his skin; Cassie would just fly over the union building and give it to him. With Cassie’s flying, she could fix all of her families’ problems and make everything right.
You can tell from reading this story how Cassie idolizes her dad. Her dad that builds bridges and buildings, called the Cat because he can not fall from the steel girders. I can relate to Cassie, I too always looked up to my dad. To me, my dad is Superman, someone who can fix anything. He did not build any buildings however, to me there is nothing that my dad can not do. I always favored my dad over my mom and I said that I would stay with him forever. That sentiment has of course matured since I have grown from a child to an adult.
The book shows a picture of the Tar Beach quilt since the story was originally written on fabric strips around the border of the quilt. Faith Ringgold gives the book more a storybook quilt feel by including fabric borders on the pages. Brightly colored canvas paintings are used as pictures to tell the story of Tar Beach. The illustrations in the pictures are wonderful; no wonder it won the 1992 Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding African American authors and illustrators. Tar Beach also won the Caldecott Honor, given to worthy runners-up for the Caldecott Medal.
Fredda,
ReplyDeleteThis book seems like such a cute story yet heartbreaking at the same time. Cassie seems to be such an imaginative child and just wishes the best for her family as far as being accepted for what color they are.
I love the way you compared your days as a child on the roof top in nyc to Cassie's days imagining flying over the town to the places she and her family weren't allowed. Books that have such a vivid message and a quite important one at that are so important to have in a classroom today. The adversity that people face today is an important message to be learned and this book seems to play a big role in teaching this age level this particular message.
I think you did a fantastic job telling the main point of this story without going on and on. You did a wonderful job as well comparing your story to the book and the similarities you had too growing up! This makes me want to get this book for my classroom, because I never heard of it before, and the valuable life lesson that is learned.