“The night is beautiful. / So the faces of my people.” The full-hearted affirmation of Langston Hughes’s celebratory poem is given stirring visual accompaniment by Charles R. Smith Jr. in this volume featuring black-and-white photographs of Black faces young and old, dark and light, joyful and soulful. Smith captures his subjects from varying angles and distances, creating ever-changing interest in the design. The photographs, tinged with sepia, are striking against the black background of the pages—each face is like the sun, shining and warm. Spreads feature one to three people, sometimes as carefully juxtaposed portraits, sometimes as individuals interacting. Thumbnails of additional portraits grace some of the page borders, and larger images are featured on the endpapers of this singular volume. (Age 3 and older)

This Coretta Scott King Award-winning photography book based on Langston Hughes’s classic poem is perfect for kids and moving and powerful for readers of all ages.

Langston Hughes’​s spare yet eloquent tribute to his people has been cherished for generations. Now, acclaimed photographer Charles R. Smith Jr. interprets this beloved poem in vivid sepia photographs that capture the glory, the beauty, and the soul of being a black American today.