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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND INCLUDED IN THE BOOKLIST TOP 10 ART BOOKS FOR YOUTH! Perfect for fans of A B to Jay-Z and Nikki Giovanni who are seeking modern hip hop poetry books for kids.

Our consensus is Hip Hop Speaks to Children is the most essential poetry purchase to make this year.

The poetry is enough.

The illustrations are enough.

The CD is enough.

Together, this book is a treasure of which you cannot get enough.

We shall accomplish much this year. Children will be encouraged to put their words to poetry and beats. Teachers will be encouraged to allow the artists to speak to children.—Diane Chen, School Library Journal blog "Practically Paradise"

Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a celebration of poetry with a beat.

Poetry can have both a rhyme and a rhythm. Sometimes it is obvious; sometimes it is hidden. But either way, make no mistake, poetry is as vibrant and exciting as it gets. And when you find yourself clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you know you've found poetry with a beat!

Like Poetry Speaks to Children, the New York Times Bestselling classic poetry book and CD that started it all, Hip Hop Speaks to Children is meant to be the beginning of a journey of discovery.

READ more than 50 remarkable poems and songs!

HEAR poetry's rhymes and rhythms from Queen Latifah to Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes to A Tribe Called Quest and more! * Also hear part of Martin Luther Kind's original "I Have a Dream" speech, followed by the remarkable live performance of the speech by Nikki Giovanni, Oni Lasana and Val Gray Ward. * The Hip Hop Speaks to Children CD contains more than 30 performances, either by the artists who created them, or as unique interpretations by admiring poets and artists.

DISCOVER Langston Hughes's elegant gospel "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," A Tribe Called Quest's playful "Ham 'N' Eggs," Sterling A. Brown's hard-luck "Long Track Blues," Gwendolyn Brooks's wake-up call "We Real Cool," Kanye West's lovely "Hey Mama," and Martin Luther King Jr.'s awe-inspiring "I Have a Dream."

This is a collection of rhymes and rhythms unlike any other poetry book!

Celebrate with remarkable poets, including:

• Eloise Greenfield
• Mos Def
• Lucille Clifton
• Oscar Brown Jr.
• Tupac Shakur
• Maya Angelou
• Queen Latifah
• Nikki Grimes
• Walter Dean Myers
• Common
• and, of course, Nikki Giovanni

Poems Include:

• Ego Tripping
• Rapper's Delight
• The Negro Speaks of Rivers
• Hey Mama
• Ham 'N' Eggs
• Everything Is Everything
• Ladies First

MORE PRAISE FOR HIP HOP SPEAKS TO CHILDREN

"With its archival recordings of poems read by the poets themselves, [Hip Hop] reminds everyone that poetry springs from an oral tradition."—Publishers Weekly

"This is the way to get children interested in reading and loving poetry. ...A great book for both teachers and parents."—Valerie Lewis, owner of Hicklebee's children's bookstore

"The poems, the artwork, the CD...all complement each other to create a wonderful experience."—Becky Laney, Becky Laney's Books blog

"Love this book. I think it is a K-8 must-have for classrooms and libraries. Like I said it is packed and it may be (at first) intimidating to young readers. But, once they hear some of the audio, spend time with the illustrations, and experience some of the poetry, I think it will become a favorite."—Franki Sibberson, A Year of Reading blog

"Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a wonderfully composed collection of poems from writers like Eloise Greenfield to late rapper and poet, Tupac Shakur. ...Whether you read poetry or you hear it in a rap song, Giovanni's genius endeavor will inspire children of all ages to have fun while listening to poetry. Rap is poetry, right?"—Amy Bowllan, Amy Bowllan's Blog (a School Library Journal Blog)

"I highly recommend this one for all collections. If the title didn't include the word "children" it'd be an excellent book all the way to high school. My coworkers and I are already talking about doing a Hip Hop poetry story time for our elementary school kids."—Jennifer Rothschild, Biblio File blog

About the Author

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Nikki Giovanni is an award-winning poet, writer, and activist. She is the author of more than two dozen books for adults and children, including Bicycles, Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea, Racism 101, Blues: For All the Changes, and Love Poems. Her children’s book-plus-audio compilation Hip Hop Speaks to Children was awarded the NAACP Image Award. Her children’s book Rosa, a picture-book retelling of the Rosa Parks story, was a Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. Both books were New York Times bestsellers. Nikki is a Grammy nominee for her spoken-word album The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection and has been nominated for the National Book Award. She has been voted Woman of the Year by Essence, Mademoiselle, and Ladies’ Home Journal. She is a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, where she teaches writing and literature.

Praise For…

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"With appeal for preliterate children, their great grandparents, and every generation between, this will be fun for families to share as they get their groove on. " — Booklist

"The beats would make any kid want to get up and dance, and I think the idea of incorporating music with the poetry will keep kids interested." — Savvy Verse & Wit

"The variety of poetic forms and performance styles…makes this collection an excellent source of material not found together elsewhere." — Kirkus Reviews