A Look at Laura's Bookshelf: African Diaspora at Internet Archive: Ashley Bryan

I learned yesterday about the passing of the great Ashley Bryan. He was 98 and had lived a beautiful life, but it is sad to realize we are now living in a world without him. You can find out more about Ashley Bryan and his remarkable career at NPR and other news sources.

I've written about many African folktale, proverb, and riddle books by Ashley Bryan at this blog (see links and book covers below), and today I want to write about four of his African American books, inspired by traditional spirituals. You'll find links to the books and also to the individual songs below:

Climbing Jacob's Ladder:

Heroes of the Bible

in African-American Spirituals

This book contains stories of Biblical heroes and the songs about them: Noah. Didn't It Rain? / Abraham. Rock-a My Soul / Jacob. We are Climbing Jacob's Ladder / Moses. Go Down, Moses / Joshua. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho / David. Little David, Play on Your Harp / Ezekiel. Ezekiel Saw the Wheel / Daniel. Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel? / Jonah. Wake Up! Jonah.

Walk Together Children:

Black American Spirituals

This is the first of two volume of traditional spirituals that Bryan illustrated: Little David / My Good Lord's Done Been Here / Go Tell It On the Mountain / I Got Shoes / Jacob's Ladder / Go Down, Moses / Mary Had a Baby / Didn't My Lord Deliver Danie!? / In His Hands / Free At Last / Let Us Break Bread Together / Is There Anybody Here? / Deep River / Walk Together, Children / O What a Beautiful City / Rocking Jerusalem / Roll Jordan Roll / Were You There? / Swing Low, Sweet Chariot / Nobody Knows the Trouble I See / Where Shall I Be? / No Hiding Place / King Of Kings / O Freedom.

All Night, All Day:

A Child's First Book

of African-American Spirituals

This is another collection of spirituals, this time with color illustrations: All Night, All Day / Chatter with the Angels / Who's That a-Comin' Over Yonder / Somebody's Knocking at Your Door / This Little Light of Mine / Behold That Star / I'm a-Going to Eat at the Welcome Table / O When the Saints Go Marching In / I Stood on the River of Jordan / Get on Board / Peter, Go Ring the Bells / He's Got the Whole World in His Hands / Wade in the Water / There's No Hiding Place / The Rocks and the Mountains / I'm Gonna Sing / Open the Window, Noah / O Won't You Sit Down / Now Let Me Fly / Great Big Stars.

And in addition to this wonderful African American books, here are some African folklore books written and/or illustrated by Ashley Bryan, all just a click away at the Internet Archive.

Ashley Bryan's African Tales, Uh-Huh