This is my best friend and I love her is the theme of Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes. Zuri Jackson is proud of her friendship with Danitra Brown and wants everyone to know her. A collection of thirteen independent poems conveying different aspects of their life are shared by Zuri with exuberance. Poems about teasing, personal quirks-Danitra’s, playing, family, betrayal- (Zuri tells Danitra’s secret), dreams and hopes tell about not just Zuri’s and Danitra’s friendship, but good friendship in general.
The theme of this book is the sharing of friendship. The first poem sets the tone for the rest of the poems. Zuri introduces Danitra as the most “splendiferous girl.” What makes Danitra wonderful is that she is Zuri’s friend. This is a total feel good book. It is about friendship, given, taken, appreciated, and wallowed in as only young girls can. The illustrations enhance and support the feelings shared in the poems. The girls are the featured in the illustrations. The double page spreads offer a backdrop of inner city grimness to these poems creating a contrast between everyday realities and the optimism of youth.
I would recommend this book for students in grades 2-4.
Keywords: friendship, optimism, reality, dreams, inner city
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