House That Crack Built
With a beat reminiscent of hip-hop or rap music, a well-known nursery rhyme is brilliantly transformed into a powerful poem about the tragic problem of illegal drugs and its victims. The rhythmic text, which is realistic but not moralizing, will appeal to teenagers and adults. It is also accessible for even very young children, making this a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, caregivers, and everyone who is looking for a way to broach this difficult subject. Full color.\ \...
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With a beat reminiscent of hip hop or rap music, a well known nursery rhyme is brilliantly transformed into a powerful poem about the tragic problem of illegal drugs and its victims. From the harvesting of the coca plants to dealers and gangs to the innocent crack babies born everyday, cocaine's journey is starkly traced from beginning to end. The rhythmic text, which is realistic but not moralizing, will appeal to teenagers and adults. But it is also accessible for even very young children, making this a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, caregivers, and everyone else who is looking for a way to broach this difficult subject. A list of organizations is provided for those seeking help for a loved one or a way out for themselves. A forword by children's advocate Michael Pritchard teaches us that we are all victims of this debilitating drug but reminds us that we also have the ability to change our world.Publishers WeeklyA familiar nursery rhyme takes a decidedly dark turn in this sobering picture book. Written in a hip - hop rhythm and based on ``The House That Jack Built,'' the new cumulative rhyme focuses attention on the drug trade and abuse of crack cocaine. No stone is left unturned as the text demonstrates the drug's ripple effect that begins with exploited South American coca farmers--``These are the Farmers who work in the heat''--and ends up invading urban neighborhoods also infested with gangs, violence, despair and hopelessness: ``This is the Street of a town in pain''; ``This is the Girl who's killing her brain.'' Dicks uses muted, somber colors and almost cubist figures and images to illustrate crack's lethal potential. The picture book format is well-suited to presentation of this subject matter to a wide audience--younger readers can readily digest the sparse text and ask questions about the art, while older children and adults may use the book as a jumping off point for more involved discussion. All of the publisher's proceeds from the book will go to drug education, prevention and rehabilitation programs that specifically help children. All ages. (May)
\ Publishers Weekly\ - Publisher's Weekly\ A familiar nursery rhyme takes a decidedly dark turn in this sobering picture book. Written in a hip - hop rhythm and based on ``The House That Jack Built,'' the new cumulative rhyme focuses attention on the drug trade and abuse of crack cocaine. No stone is left unturned as the text demonstrates the drug's ripple effect that begins with exploited South American coca farmers--``These are the Farmers who work in the heat''--and ends up invading urban neighborhoods also infested with gangs, violence, despair and hopelessness: ``This is the Street of a town in pain''; ``This is the Girl who's killing her brain.'' Dicks uses muted, somber colors and almost cubist figures and images to illustrate crack's lethal potential. The picture book format is well-suited to presentation of this subject matter to a wide audience--younger readers can readily digest the sparse text and ask questions about the art, while older children and adults may use the book as a jumping off point for more involved discussion. All of the publisher's proceeds from the book will go to drug education, prevention and rehabilitation programs that specifically help children. All ages. May\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalK Up-- A picture book that uses the patterns and rhymes of the traditional ``House That Jack Built,'' this tells of the despairing trail of crack/cocaine from the cultivation of ``. . . the plants that people can't eat,'' to the addicted mother and baby, the overworked cop, and the other victims and villains of the inner-city drug trade. The handsome, somber modernist paintings echo Picasso's earliest proto-Cubist work, and will appeal to an older age group, although the strong line, touches of bright color, and representational style do make them accessible to younger children. It will work best for any age when introduced by an adult and used as the basis for serious discussion. An afterword for adults by PBS activist Michael Pritchard and a brief list of national organizations working in addiction services are appended. This is a unique book, disturbing but valuable. The challenge will be where to shelve it and how to introduce it. --Rosanne Cerny, Queens Borough Public Library, NY\ \
