ANGEL TO ANGEL

Myers (Brown Angels, 1993; Glorious Angels, 1995; etc.) has gathered another collection of vintage photographs of African-American mothers and children, with a few fathers thrown into the mix, and a good number of solo shots of babies, young gentlemen, and young ladies. Some of the photographs have the date and place inked in with antique penmanship, or the imprint of the studio, sending readers spinning back in time. The array of expressions becomes a message of love, while the stances, clothes, and settings envelop that message. As in the other books, Myers pairs sepia photographs with his verse, and the success of many entries depends on the age of the reader, e.g., the sentiments of “Speak softly in the morning/And light it with your smile/You will soft-speak ‘Mama’/And I will soft-speak ‘Child’ “ may be lost on the young. When Myers writes in a droll mode, almost everyone will be entertained: “ ‘You can’t just leave them like you do collards.’/Mama mixed corn bread in a pan./‘I can’t stand no mushy greens, mushy rice/Or a preacher without a plan.’ “ (Picture book. 5-9)