No Mirrors in My Nana's House: Musical CD and Book

"There were no mirrors in my Nana's house / no mirrors in my Nana's house / So the beauty that I saw in everything / the beauty in everything / was in her eyes / like the rising of the sun." So begins the young granddaughter's joyful paean to her Nana in Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell and illustrator Synthia Saint James's ebullient picture book, packaged with a CD of the song "No Mirrors in My Nana's House." The song itself, the heart of the book, was composed by Barnwell and sung by world-renowned a capella quintet "Sweet Honey in the Rock" for years. This soul-warming tribute in upbeat, five-part harmonies (deeply rooted in the spirituals, hymns, and gospel of the black church) enhances the book-reading experience a hundredfold. The CD's second track is a spoken-word recording of the story's text, voiced in rich, soothing tones and inflections. And just when you find yourself thinking, I want to listen to that again! the song begins anew on the CD's third track.

Nana's house had no mirrors to reflect her granddaughter's clothes that didn't fit, or "the things that she missed." When the girl viewed the world through her Nana's eyes she saw love and beauty, not poverty or racism. Saint James's artwork is colorful and stylized--the characters have no faces, but their movements--arms outstretched, exalted; a loving embrace between the grandmother and granddaughter--communicate plenty of emotion. Saint James has illustrated several other picture books including The Gifts of Kwanzaa and Neeny Coming, Neeny Going, which won a Coretta Scott King Honor Award. This gorgeous book and CD package would make a wonderful gift for any youngster--and the melodies, rhythms, and bold, bright images promise to linger in the minds and hearts of children long after the book is closed. (Ages 4 and older) --Karin Snelson