BROWN ANGELS

Enchanting period photos of young African-Americans, which Myers collected from "dusty bins in antique shops, flea markets, auction houses, and museum collections." The children are dressed in their best—white lace, baggy trousers, or school clothes and bare feet—and elegantly posed, whether in gracious surroundings or sitting on a humble stoop; their luminous gazes are warmed with the rich gold and brown of the old photos. Truly, this beautifully designed "album" is a labor of love. Myers's verse is less wonderful; it offers no epiphanies to match the pictures, but his echoes of African-American speech and themes make them a decent accompaniment. And if "For I am dark and precious/And have such gifts to give/Sweet joy, sweet love,/Sweet laughter/Sweet wondrous life to live" seems—well, sweet, it's also piquantly ironic in light of the struggles awaiting these promising, much-beloved children. (Poetry. 5+)