Citation
Reynolds, Jason and Jason Griffin. Ain't Burned All the Bright. Atheneum, 2022.
Audience
Ages 13+
Summary
Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and artwork by Jason Griffin, captures the turmoil of 2020 in "three breaths" or chapters written in verse. It is a both heartbreaking and inspiring visual and literary depiction a black family struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, George Floyd's murder, the omnipresent media, and generally terrible times. Reynolds uses the metaphor of an oxygen mask to emphasize a family trying to find a breath of fresh air and hope. It is also, according the to book jacket, a "manifesto on what it means not to be able to breathe," which references to the physical symptoms of COVID-19, George Floyd's murder, and being trapped inside in the early days of the pandemic. The end of the book though is uplifting as the family who is "caught in a tunnel of too much going on," comes together on the couch and the artwork becomes brighter with greens and blues giving the sense of a brighter future.
Value
This is an important and valuable book because it deftly illustrates the challenges that so many individuals faced in 2020 and that young people can really relate too, especially as it from the perspective of someone looking at how the different members of their family are coping with the pandemic, murders, and more. It is timely, relevant, and written in verse which is especially appealing to those who love novels in verse as well as those who are rebuilding their confidence and love for reading.
Potential Problems
While there are currently no known challenges or bans on this title, Jason Reynolds has two other books on ALA's Top Ten Most Challenged Book List for 2020, which has made him an easy target for censors. This book also addresses George Floyd's murder, Black Lives Matter, and the nation's inability to think about and protect our most vulnerable populations during the pandemic, which are all topics that certain groups of people are attempting to censor.
Reviews
"Reynolds and Griffin’s searing indictment of the status quo is expressed in the voice of a young, unnamed Black man, whose timely comments resonate beyond the personal to the universal.[…] Reynolds’ text—printed on strips of white paper affixed to notebook pages—comments on a seemingly changeless world on fire, on protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, and on the seeming omnipresence of COVID-19—all of which reflect a world without the freedom to breathe. It’s a bleak picture but not one without hope of change. Griffin’s remarkable mixed-media collage pictures that employ a palette largely of black and red are a perfect complement to the text, capturing its tone and style exactly while expanding and enhancing the words of the poetic text. The result is an important combination that expresses the zeitgeist of a troubled time. It’s essential reading". -- Booklist *STARRED* ― 12/1/2021
"Author Reynolds and artist Griffin, friends and previous collaborators (My Name Is Jason. Mine Too.), explore recent events in America through a poetic multimedia partnership told in three “breaths.” […] As Reynolds’s lines depict Black people facing police brutality, Covid-19, and general concerns regarding safety, Griffin’s captivating collages literally and metaphorically capture a constant state of worry and panic, leading to visual moments that encourage the reader to find solace and inspiration in the everyday." -- Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW ― 11/15/2021
*"Reynolds’ wrenching and hope-filled poem is divided into three steadying “breaths,” marking the family’s isolated, wheel-spinning activities; the father’s physical crisis; and the family’s reunion. As the poetry makes its way from anguish to hope and recovery, Griffin traces the same emotional journey through mixed media artwork... spreads built of gritty texture and turbulent imagery and fiery red blazes fracture just enough to let in streaks of blue sky; then scenes widen for bright, homey quilts and are soon dominated by a family cozied on a sofa on a verdant field of grass. This powerful title may become the memory book for how we made it through troubled times." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, **STARRED REVIEW**
Awards
No awards at this time.
Alternate Titles
Booked by Kwame Alexander
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
For Every One by Jason Reynolds
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/88232-in-conversation-jason-reynolds-and-jason-griffin.html