In Black Artists Rock! by Cara Reese, A is for Alvin Ailey, a dance pioneer from Texas with his own company, while B is for Billie Holiday, who is talented in jazz. Chef Leah Chase from New Orleans is the queen of Creole cuisine, and her restaurant attracts all kinds of dignitaries. D is for Miles Davis, who is a great trumpeter and composer, while E is for Mari Evans, who is a fearless poet. His words emphasize the brilliance and beauty found in black culture. Professor Evans is the cornerstone of the Black Arts Movement. Langston Hughes is a poet, writer, and activist who defends the right for all to dream. J is for William Johnson from South Carolina, a master painter who used his talent to tell of his ancestor’s flight. L is for Anne Lowe, a talented designer with breathtaking skills. 

Black Artists Rock! by Cara Reece is wonderfully written with captivating images that catch the attention of the reader from the first page to the last. The images and the easy-to-understand language used also make the work effective in passing on the intended message. I loved the celebration of various talents of Black artists, and I believe such literature is a step in the right direction in motivating kids who suffer from an inferiority complex due to various circumstances of their upbringing. This thought-provoking work also got me thinking about civil rights, social issues, and what can be done to equalize opportunities for all. The reader will also appreciate the steady pacing, which adds to the overall beauty of the work. I look forward to reading something else by Cara Reese.

Black Artists Rock! The Cool Kids' Guide A-Z Volume 2 by Cara Reese is a children's book featuring a collection of well-known and little-known African American artists and their work including choreography, singing, poetry, writing, music, and interestingly, cooking (chef). Written in poetic prose, the volume not only captures the artists and their areas of expertise but also their background, places where their art was felt, their achievements and feats, and the people they touched. The volume includes illustrations of the artists along with their art in the background, making for a colorful collection. Memorable artists included are Aretha Franklin and her upbringing which shows how her background influenced her, Marie Evans and what she stood for, and Grandmaster Flash and how his childhood dreams materialized in his art.

Cara Reese celebrates and honors African American artists who followed their hearts and achieved feats in their art. Reese presents this collection through poetry that is brief and easy to understand, arranging the works alphabetically. With this style, children not only learn about the artists but find fun in rhyming poetry alongside the alphabet. This collection also features men and women alike, inspiring boys and girls. The work can be complex if the child is unfamiliar with the artist, so having an adult guide them in reading may be helpful. Nonetheless, Black Artists Rock! is a great collection and a start for young African American creatives wishing to pursue arts, showing them that others before them trod similar paths and achieved success.