6. Crown, an Ode to the Fresh Cut
6. Crown, an Ode to the Fresh Cut, by Derrick Barnes
Barnes, D. (2017). Crown: an
ode to the fresh cut. Denene Millner Books, Agate Publishing.
Crown is a poem describing a
boy's feelings and experience while getting a haircut. He describes his experience
in the barber shop and how getting a haircut will impact his life. The illustrations are eye-catching paintings,
done in oils. It won several awards
including the Newberry Honor, Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Honor, and
the Ezra Jack Keats Award. This book
tells true the feelings of a young African American boy and his views on
getting a haircut. I work in a
culturally diverse elementary school. I
have heard my students talk about what a big event it is to get a “fresh cut.” This
book is a window into the African American culture.
This is an excellent book to use
to teach imagery. The author paints a
picture of the barber shop and the experience of a haircut by playing on your
sense. “He’ll drape you like royalty with
that cape,” helps you to feel it yourself the cape being draped and fastened. When the barber “leaned you back in the
chair,” we have all felt that feeling as well.
The author also plays on your sense of sight. While sitting in the chair, the boy describes
the other cuts he sees on the men in the barber shop. “There’s a dude to the
left of you with a faux-hawk, deep part, skin fade. He looks presidential.” In the boy’s eyes, the man could be
president, he looks so good. These are just a few examples of the imagery
created in the story.
Teachers Pay Teachers has an
assortment of teaching resources to use when teaching this book. They are not free but run from $1.50 to
$5.00. I have included the link below.
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