Beautiful Blackbird

Written by Ashley Bryan

Narrated by Myra Lucretia Taylor

Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan adapted this charming tale from a story told by the Ilaspeaking people of Zambia. All the birds in the forest are jealous of Blackbird, whose black feathers glisten and shine colorfully in the sunbeams. The other birds are a single color from head to foot, and none of them have even a spot of black on their feathers. Blackbird tells them that true color is on the inside, but still the birds long for black feathers. So Blackbird brews a batch of blackening to decorate all his friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 5, 2007
• ISBN: 9781428198692

Ashley Bryan

Ashley Bryan (1923–2022) grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he shared the joy of song with children. A beloved illustrator, he was named a Newbery Honoree for his picture book, Freedom Over Me. He also received the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, was a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions. His books include Freedom Over Me; Sail Away; Beautiful Blackbird; Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum; Let It Shine; Ashley Bryan’s Book of Puppets; and What a Wonderful World. He lived in Islesford, one of the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Maine.

Reviews for Beautiful Blackbird

[dorthys-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a cute little book about the beautiful black bird and how it gives it's colors to all of the other birds who are longing for color. Nicely illustrated picture book. Goof for primary grades.

[david.endres · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion this is a good book for children. One thing I liked about “Beautiful Blackbird” was the use of poetry throughout the book. For example, “Oh Blackbird, can we have some of that blackening too? We all need what your black can do. You’re such a artist with your feather brush, a touch of your black will be good for us.” I also liked the illustrations in the book. They were fairly simple but the book was mainly about colors and the illustrator uses bright colors and neat shapes to enhance the story. The big idea of the story is that the outside of a person doesn’t mean anything. The only thing that matters is what is on the inside and that’s what makes a person.

[aelmer-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This folktale is about a group of birds, who while are all the beautiful colors of the rainbow, think the Blackbird is the most beautiful because he shines all colors in the sun. They want to share some of his black color, so even though he tells the other birds that beauty comes from within, Blackbird paints markings on the other birds in a black color. Personally, while I like the message, I wasn't particularly impressed with the book. I couldn't connect to it, and felt like the book promoted assimilation and blending in. I hope that doesn't sound too blunt or depressing!

[l_cochran · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is an adaptation of an African folktale, so it is very educational about African history in that way. It also places an emphasis on the fact that what we are like on the inside is what matters. However, I was not completely entranced with this book. I thought that the plot was lacking a bit and was very predictable in many ways. That being said, I enjoyed Bryan's art and thought it was interesting from a cultural perspective.

[kelseyannb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book okay. Maybe I am just a bit too accustomed to American books where characters are always knocked down a couple pegs when they get a bit cocky, but I was not a huge fan of the blackbirds personality

[babshe1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful Blackbird, by Ashley Bryan, was a strange story, and I honestly was very confused on the message. The story describes a flock of birds who all want to be changed by being painted to look more like blackbird. In turn blackbird paints them black, but just strips of black here and there. I felt the story gave off a bad vibe telling kid you don't want to be the only one whose different and to go get a tattoo because so is everyone else. While the message of the book was not for me I really enjoyed the character of the blackbird, even though he paints everyone else to look the same he says "just remember whatever I do, I'll be me and you'll be you". He is the character that makes the water muddy and the message unclear to me. He is very important in the story and I feel his character is powerful. Another aspect of this story I truly enjoyed was the illustrations. All of the pictures are made of cut colored paper, no painting, no drawing all cut out paper. The art work is stunning, colorful, and almost as powerful as the writing. With all the colors and bright backgrounds the blackbird stands out at first, but by the end everyone has some black on them so he blends in with the crowd. One thing I did like was how the colors showed a great diversity among the birds. How everyone is different and no to people are the same, this was powerful as well. In the end an odd but meaningful story.

[marycha-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The cutout art collage is really beautiful and the colors are really vibrant. The story has a nice meaning and was a joy.

[ashley_peterson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My favorite message I got from this book was all the colored birds saying how black was beautiful. I think in a sense this could be a great book to read with children of color. I've heard children before say things like why can't their skin be white. This book gives a very important message that even if you add a touch of what someone else has (even if that's skin color) you won't be like them because you'll still be you and that can be beautiful too. Book starts out telling the reader that long ago birds were only filled with lots of color, not a single one had a speck of black on them. But there was one bird, black bird, who was black(and had every other color glistening off of him). One day all the birds got called to a festival. Upon arriving to the festival the birds all saw their colorful reflections in the water...blackbird showed up as well. When asked by the Ringdove who was the most beautiful all the colored birds chose Blackbird. All the birds joined in a song and dance, circled around Blackbird. The Ringdove asks Blackbird to make him black like him, and Blackbird says that "The outside is not what's on the inside", but agrees to make him a black ring for around his neck. After adding the black rings to Ringdove's neck, all the other colored birds asks him to do the same for them, and he agrees. He then paints marks of black on every last colored bird and they all chant how black is beautiful.

[mburgess_58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All of the birds thought that the black bird was the most beautiful bird ever. The message of this book is that it's not about your race or religion, it's about whats on the inside. The illustrations could have been better. All of the pictures looked very similar.

[akrause_22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Beautiful Blackbird" is a wonderful story with an inspiring moral. All of the birds wish to be like blackbird, but as he gives them each black markings, he tells them the importance of being an individual which is a lesson all children should learn and value. The illustrations throughout the book are just as inspiring as the story which consists of cut-out collages of birds that are an array of different colors. The drawings are simple but the various amounts of color really catch your eye. This story is great for young children because not only does it teach a great lesson but its also easy to read with fun and catchy rhymes.

[katherinelo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Long ago birds were one solid color, the different birds decided to vote who is the prettiest one of all. They unanimously voted blackbird was the pretty because in the sun he shines all the colors of the rainbow. Wanting to be like him they asked if blackbird could paint them part black so they may have some of the beauty he holds. The illustrations in the book are simple with bold colors to show the different colors of rainbow and how being black can be the most beautiful. The pictures follow the story showing how they are all different at the beginning to being all alike in the end. The pictures portray a sense that even though we are different on the outside we are all alike on the inside. In the classroom: introduction to folktales, How to be accepting of everyone no matter their color

[copad2thing · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked how the book has its message of true beauty comes from within.

[swerskygoode · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book “Beautiful Blackbird” was both written and illustrated by Bryan. This book exemplifies the rhythmic pulse as he retells a Zambian tale focusing on African birds and how they receive their markings and how birds of all different colors come together to determine who is the most beautiful in the group. The book contains colorful paper cutouts of the birds collaged together and bright, bold shapes that bring the pictures to life. Two quotes that stick out in the book. One quote from the book that stuck out in our minds was “We’ll see the difference a touch of black can make. Just remember, whatever I do, I’ll be me and you’ll be you.” This shows the importance of his race throughout his works and also shows the rhyming beat he often uses to retell stories.

[rondapopowich · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful Blackbird is an adaptation of a folktale told by the Ila-speaking people of Zambia. It is illustrated with beautiful paper cut-outs of birds in a rainbow of colors told and illustrated by Ashley Bryan. It has won the Coretta Scott King Award which promotes understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream. Beautiful Blackbird also won a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award which honours an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.The story is a simple one with complex themes of what is on the inside that counts not what is on the outside. Blackbird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds, that were red, yellow, blue, and green, were so envious that they begged Blackbird to paint their feathers with a touch of black so they could be beautiful too. Blackbird warns them that true beauty comes from within but the birds persist and soon each is given some black coloring—markings that appear on birds that we see today. The language is lyrical and musical in nature with ages 3 to 7 the target audience for this book.

[tlwood_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This beautiful book is a retelling of an African folktale about how many birds took their black markings from "Blackbird," the most beautiful bird of all. The language is lyrical and easy to read with expression. The illustrations are marvelous and were originally done by the author as a collage (which is stated on the end page) using his mother's scissors (also pictured on the front and end page). The message is strong and clear that "black is beautiful" and also that it doesn't matter what color one's skin is, rather it matters what "color" one's heart and insides are. I think K-3 students would love to have this book read to them and would equally love to pore over the colorful and interesting illustrations.

[katieginn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Singular voice provides rhythm and sound effects throughout this musical adaptation of a Zambian tale. The balckbird is envied by other birds that have spots all over their bodies, they are intregued with his beautiful black beauty.

[jkessluk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like the idea of the book and it's moral is a good one, but I found the art to be a mess and the story to be too preachy. I like that it says that the blackbird is beautiful and that the blackbird says what matters is whats in the inside which makes us special, but I thought they tried to hard getting this point across. The art itself just seamed chaotic like the illustrator was trying to put as many birds in the story as possible. But the moral is a good one and should be expressed to children.

[ekean06 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This African Folktale is the story of the colorful birds of Africa who think that Blackbird is the most beautiful bird of Africa and they ask him to decorate them with some of his "blackening brew."

[gwen6ashworth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bryan, Ashley. Beautiful Blackbird. New York: Antheneum Books, 2003.The bright and beautiful cut out patterns of the birds makes it easy to understand why this book won the Corretta Scott King illustrator award in 2004. In the Beautiful Blackbird, the colorful birds of Africa are called to a meeting where their leader, Ringdove asks the question, “Who is the most beautiful?” To which the colorful birds respond, “Blackbird is the most beautiful one.” Ringdove and the colorful birds ask Blackbird to color them black, so they’d be like him. Although Blackbird explains that it is not what is on the outside, but what is on the inside that really matters. Blackbird agrees to add black markings to each bird. In the end, the colorful birds are proud of their markings and realize their own beauty and worth. With their black markings, they sing, “Black is beautiful.” This is a wonderful story, and the theme is one which many parents try to teach their children, “it is what’s on the inside that counts.” The colorful and imaginative birds as well as the theme make this book appealing to young and old alike. Because of the sound devices used in this sing-song story and the bright colors and simple language, I would recommend this book for young children through the second grade.

[kshielee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This folktale has been by the Ila speaking people of Zambia for generations. There is a great rhythm to the story and the lesson learned is that you must discover the beauty from within. The setting of the book is a long, long time ago in Africa. There is no specific city, just somewhere in Africa where birds live.

[sharmon05 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a good example of a folktale, because the story has been passed down through generations. There is also good cadence or rhythm when this book is read aloud. The book's plot is not very well constructed. Many of the crucial parts of the plot are not represented. For example, there is no conflict or resolution in the story. The lack of plot makes the story somewhat boring.

[alcrivello · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful story about how black is beautiful.