Life Doesn't Frighten Me: A Poetry Picture Book

Jean-Michel’s art combined with Angelou’s words? Fantastic, adventurous and eye-opening. His images and her words make magic.

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.

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.

As an avid reader of Maya Angelou's works, I purchased this book as a gift for my 7 year old daughter, hoping to impart to her a fondness for my favorite author as well.I must say, that beyond my expectations, I have helped to create a Maya fan. My daughter immediately took to the book, on Christmas Day, no less, amid hundreds of dollars worth of toys. We read the book about a dozen times in the first two days. She still reads it daily, and even took it to school to share with her class.Maya's poem picks up on the fear and anxiety causing incidents of youth, and allows the child to tromp his/her fear into the ground. After reading it, my daughter felt fearless, realizing that she was the master of her emotion and was not at the mercy of 'scary things'.I highly recommend this book, either for a child, or as a lover of art and poetry. Additionally, a tremendous collectible title for the future.

This is a wonderful book, both beautifully written and powerfully illustrated. I am a 3rd grade teacher, but I love this book mainly as a unique graduation gift for previous students of mine who are graduating from high school and remember me with graduation announcements. I love the combination of a gift that is both a primary book from their teacher, coupled with the larger message of the poem for the recipient who is soon embarking upon confronting life on his or her own! A very special and meaningful gift!

This book is awesome. It is a wonderful and inspiring poem by Maya Angelou, filled with intriquing and probing illustrations. The illustrations do an excellent job of depicting the complex emotions of children's fears, while the poem teaches them to overcome their trepidation over the world around them. I plan on transferring this story onto chart paper and having my Kindergarten class memorize it in the fall. Reciting it together will be an excellent way for them to begin the day with confidence.