SAIL AWAY by Langston Hughes. Illustrated by Ashley Bryan. New York: Atheneum Books, 2015. 40p. ISBN  hc. $17.99   Gr. 1-4   Juv.

The words of Langston Hughes have spanned the years since the 1920's when this famous Harlem poet claimed his place in the cultural renaissance of African American writers and artists. The poetry and how it affects the emotions of modern day readers demonstrates its relevance over time.   Readers will appreciate how these poems flow from one to the next.  The Poem, "April Rain Song" made an impression on me, presenting a sensory experience of spring rain.  Bryan's illustrations of cut paper collage are very bright and beautiful.  Bryan's tribute to his mother's scissors is heart warming.  She used the scissors in her sewing and embroidery projects and he, in turn, used them in cutting the colored paper for the collages in this book.  The picture book format invites young readers into a world of poetry that they can enjoy into adulthood.
Mary Koshorek, Librarian Assistant, Spies Public Library