HOPSCOTCH LOVE: A Family Treasury of Love Poems

by Nikki Grimes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1999

Poems about love indeed hopscotch among the generations, and every one of the 22 entries tells a story. Many of the poems focus on Valentine's Day; a teacher finds a heart on a blackboard, and decides not to erase it, or a girl writing in her notebook complains of the lack of valentines, but the entry stops when she receives one. Several of the poems bring up black history, e.g., a strong poem about the love between Medgar and Myrlie Evers, and a somewhat less convincing one about a father and daughter trading anecdotes about Malcolm X. The illustrations capture familiar situations, from a group of teenagers together in school to a lone girl shyly reacting to unexpected compliments. Grimes and Rosales succeed in imparting the small, telling moments in loving relationships.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1999

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Lothrop

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1998

Categories: POETRY