Tar+Beach

**Biography Information:**
 * Tar Beach** By Faith Ringgold
 * Title: Tar Beach
 * Author: Faith Ringgold
 * Illustrator: Faith Ringgold
 * Age Range: 5 - 8 years
 * Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3
 * Lexile Measure: 790L
 * Series: Dragonfly Books
 * Paperback: 32 pages
 * Publisher: Dragonfly Books; Dragonfly Books ed edition (December 3, 1996)
 * Language: English
 * ISBN-10: 0517885441
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">ISBN-13: 978-0517885444

**Summary:** Cassie Louise Lightfoot spends a lot of her time on the roof top of her apartment building. As she lays on her "tar beach" she dreams of being free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night Cassie's dream finally comes true and she is lifted up by the stars as she flies over her city, claiming everything that she sees as her own. **Review:** Tar Beach is so much more than just a picture book. It is filled with culture, hope, history, and a powerful message that teaches readers the importance of dreaming. I chose this book because I read it in elementary school and could not help, but be intrigued by Cassie's "tar beach." I think that this would be a great story to read with a younger group of children because minority students will be able to relate with Cassie, and students who do not feel connected with her will be inspired by her power and positive attitude towards life. The ending of this story provides a message that all people should live by, "Anyone can fly. All you need is somewhere to go that you can't get to any other way. The next thing you know you're flying among the stars." **Awards:** 1992 Caldecott Honor Book Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration Reading Rainbow Feature Selection A New York Times Best Illustrated Book Parents' Choice Gold Award

Illustrations: The illustrations in Tar Beach are bright and vibrant, but they help to represent much more than just the words on the page. Ringgold incorporated the patterns from her quilt series into the illustrations of this story to add culture to the pictures. With the use of geometric shapes and color combinations, Ringgold created illustrations that represent African American culture. This is also represented in the details of the characters. Cassie has long braids that are similar to the way that many young African American girls wear their hair. Many stories lack African American main characters, and those that do are not always illustrated with such realistic detail. Ringgold's ability to represent the African American culture with such accuracy and creativity is a significant aspect to this book because it helps readers to feel truly connected to Cassie and her dream. **Author Biography:** Faith Ringgold was born in New York City in 1930. Prior to becoming an award winning author, Ringgold was an art teacher and creator of the painting series entitled "American People." The paintings portrayed the civil rights movement through the eyes of a woman. Ringgold was so involved in the art world that she fought for racial integration for New York artists. She also created a series of quilts that can be seen in the illustrations of her books. Eventually Ringgold began to write and illustrate children's books that represent her beliefs about the world.
 * Analysis of literary elements:**