Each of the 17 poems in this collection offers glimpses into the lives of African-American children on a single night in an urban neighborhood. Nerissa is telling her parents bedtime jokes, Tonya hosting a sleepover, Darnell afraid of nighttime noises, independent Lawanda determined not to let her daddy carry her from the car to the front door even though she's very sleepy, Juma talking his daddy into letting him stay up just a little longer and Buddy, already asleep and dreaming of impressing the world with his wonderful, amazing self. Jan Spivey Gilchrist's full-color gouache paintings evoke a perfect nighttime mood in Greenfield's celebratory tribute to African-American families and communities. Honor Book, 1991 CCBC Coretta Scott King Discussion for Writing and Illustration. (Ages 3-9)

A collection of poems exploring the sounds, sights, and emotions enlivening a black neighborhood during the course of one evening.