DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Grimes, Nikki. 2002. DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN. Ill. by Floyd Cooper. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0688131565.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
DANITRA BROWN LEAVES TOWN is about two friends departing for summer after the school year was over. Danitra Brown is leaving town, and her best friend Zuri is not happy at all. However, Zuri meets a few new people to play with while her best friend is away. Through a series of letters, both friends share their greatest adventures of what their childhood summers are made of, such as block parties, hand ball games, family reunions, and Fourth of July. At the end, Danitra returns back home, where true friendship always remains.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Nikki Grimes has created an outstanding and enjoyable book that children are able to understand and relate to, particularly the characters' emotions such as Zuri's anger and jealousy when Danitra leaves town for her summer vacation. Throughout the book, the reader is able to experience the same sights, sounds, and wonders as the girls, and helps them to become closer to the characters as their friendship is rekindled. This book is unique in that it tells a story not only through poetry, but poetic letters. It is also a good stepping-stone between picture books and poetry. Grimes did an excellent job in telling this story of adventures and friendship through poems in the from of letters that are exchanged between two friends. For the student who is unsure of poetry, this is a great book to begin with. This is a great book to use in the classroom when relating to friendship.


The warm colors that Floyd Cooper uses in the illustrations of this book are enjoyable and make the characters come to life and at the same time, capture the reader's attention. The illustrated pages accompanying the poem, “The Bad Good-bye” are especially moving, showing Zuri’s sullen face upon the news that her best friend is leaving town for the summer. His elaborate pictures that accompany each poem allow the reader to be able to understand the plot based on the illustrations. This book would be extremely appealing for all children as they would be able to make some connection to the story. Great warm and colorful illustrations!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*From School Library Journal:
Grades 3-5--Grimes and Cooper return with another story told through poems about Danitra Brown and Zuri Jackson. This time, the friends exchange letters all summer long while Danitra is visiting relatives. Zuri starts out feeling angry and disappointed that Danitra is leaving her behind and doesn't seem to care, but eventually both girls make new friends while they look forward to being together again. Some vignettes may leave readers with perplexing questions; for example, Danitra describes a stubborn dragonfly that she's sure would like to eat her, but the accompanying image depicts her smiling at it benignly. All in all, however, Cooper's photo-realist artwork in soft hues against glowing backdrops is a lovely complement to the girls' many moods.

*From Publishers Weekly:
Zuri describes in verse the summer that she and her best friend Danitra are separated in Danitra Brown Leaves Town by Nikki Grimes, a follow-up to Meet Danitra Brown. Floyd Cooper's luminescent pastels chronicle the long days and Zuri's many moods.

*Booklist
Ages 4-8. The best friends from Meet Danitra Brown (1994) celebrate summer apart and together in this warm story, told in simple free verse with big, joyful oil-wash paintings. The girls' friendship frames the story. At first Zuri is hurt that Danitra leaves to go to her family in the country, but then Danitra writes "I wish that you were here" and shares her delight in camping out under the stars, climbing trees, and discovering "a different Danitra." Meanwhile Zuri finds lots of fun and a new friend in her city neighborhood. The surprise is in the details: on one page Zuri writes to Danitra about a hip-swinging, head-bobbling, foot-stomping block party, and the bouncy painting shows Cooper at his best. Just as vital are the words and pictures of Danitra swinging in the country garden. Kids will see that both friends travel far and welcome each other home.

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Follow up the reading with other Grimes Books.
*Grimes, Nikki. 1997. Meet Danitra Brown. Illus. by Cooper, Floyd. Harper Trophy. ISBN 0688154719.
*Grimes, Nikki. JAZMIN’S NOTEBOOK. ISBN 9780141307022.
*Have children write a journal entry about a time when they have been separated from someone they loved?