Life Doesn't Frighten Me :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Art Appreciation For All Ages---

2006-11-18
This book is truly for both parents and children. The cadence of Angelou's poem is one that appeals to kids of all ages, even if they don't initially understand it's meaning. The artwork in it's 'stick figure form' can be appreciated by all who enjoy the complexity of Basquiat's work as well as children relating to it's color and elementary presentation. It's one of my favorite gifts, from baby showers to adult parents. If you appreciate art and culture this book is one to have in the home as well as gift to a friend.

Pure Bosh

2006-07-12
What a deep, deep woman this Maya Angelou is. At least this book ADMITS it's for little kids, unlike a lot of her other work.

an art book for parents and children

2004-10-21
This book is vibrant in both sight and sound. Basquiat's images fly off the page as do Angelou's words. Despite the brevity of the poetry, it is not a quick read. Time is spent looking at and discussing the artwork, and how it and the poetry interrelate with life. A 1st grader's art appreciation course in practice. Excellent for the living room coffee table.

Nourish your child's intellect... cautiously

2003-06-07
As an adult and a student, I was truly enchanted by this unique concatenation of Maya Angelou's spirited, optimistic poetry and Jean-Michel Basquiat's bold, explosive paintings. "Life" is less a story than an affirmation - the child narrator (whose gender is left to the imagination) lists a dozen or so items that could be causes for concern in young child's mind, but then conquers these fears with "They don't frighten me at all." Equally impressive are the brief, but detailed biographical sketches of both artists that closes the book.

My only reservation lies in the question "Who is this book really for?" While Basquiat's dynamic use of line and color and space make for fascinating pictures, and his style is consciously influenced by the artwork of Native Americans and small children, his habitual use of skeletal imagery and jagged, leering facial expressions might prove too intense for little ones. On the other hand, the beautiful simplicity of Angelou's poetry will probably fail to appeal to kids who are experienced enough to expect a certain level of plot in their reading.

My advice to parents is this: don't give this book to your kids - buy it for yourselves, and keep it someplace where it won't get all trashed up by dirty little hands. When you think they're ready, let your youngsters look at this book with you, so if the pictures should strike them the wrong way, you'll be there for them. Better not do this at bedtime until you're sure how they'll react - this could be the stuff nightmares are made of. But even if they love it, hang on to the book yourself, so that in a couple of years when your child loses interest (they may begin to see it as a "baby book"), you'll still have a beautiful coffee-table book of post-modernist art to share with your friends. And eventually, your kids might grow up into little intellectuals who can see what a delightful creation this book really is. It may not be perfect for anyone, but it certainly has something for everyone.

even 1st graders LOVE this book 2003-05-05
I'm a first year, first grade teacher. And before I started teaching I had owned this book for about 6 years. I recently read it to my students and they loved it. One of my students wanted to read it on her own & even read Maya's bio in the back and took notes in her journal so she could read more of Maya's work. This is a great book for adults and children! Basquiat's artwork is very interesting [and childlike] and did not scare the children. Children are exposed to a very violent world on virtually a daily basis and this book helps them cope. p.s. I read this book when the Iraq war started.

Wonderful 2008-04-01
I read this book to my inner city 3rd graders and it really helps them deal with struggles and write their own poems.

Confidence-inspiring poem for kids 2007-12-19
Great for reading out loud to a child, discussing in a class, or for use in a children's poetry therapy group to focus on bravery. The illustrations are a great addition to the poem.

2 for 1 2007-08-12
You have two great contemporary artists combined in this book.....I plan to buy it again as I gave it to a friend who is a new grandmother.

Life Doesn't Frighten Me 2007-05-20
This is a great book! This book is a good starting point for conversation with children in helping them talk about what might frighten them. The artists (both Maya Angelou and Jean-Michel Basquiat) both have created a unique book for all ages.

Undecided 2007-04-22
The pictures are abstract looking and dark in tone. The book makes reference to; ghosts, bad men fighting in the dark, and cougars in the park. I'm not sure my 3 or 5 year old children had thought up these bad things on their own yet. While reading them the book I felt uneasy about the dark pictures and scary references to things they may not have even thought of before. I'm still undecided if it will be helpful in convincing them that they don't need to be afraid of life or if it will convince them that life is pretty scary and they ought to be afraid! There is one reference to 'having a lucky charm up her sleeve' that protects her from the bad stuff and also allows her to walk on the ocean floor without having to come up to breathe. Those are both useless defenses in the real world so the book doesn't offer any real reasons to not be scared of life.