Circle Unbroken Book

Text Summary
"And time has come now, child, for you to learn the knot that ties us all together'The circle unbroken." The words of a grandmother to her granddaughter unfold in this story about the longstanding African tradition of sweetgrass basket sewing. When the child asks her grandmother how she's learned to sew, the grandmother takes the child to a place in the past on the coast of West Africa. The child's "old-timey" grandfather was initiated into manhood by answering the question, "Can you bring water in a basket?" However, soon after, he is captured, bought to America, and sold as a slave to a plantation owner. He continues his basket weaving, and the tradition continues to be passed down for generations. The grandmother retells her history with basket weaving as well, and narrates the union between the child's grandfather and her. She describes the changes that come with time, but the tradition of the sweet baskets remains strong from generation to generation.

Literary merits
Raven incorporates a rich cultural experience along with a vivid narrative. Her language constructs tones of nostalgia and hope, while also painting a picture of the place where these traditions come from: "On the hills by the river grew pale stalks of rice to feed the village and the spirits of the land. By the banks of the rivers grew tall, grassy reeds to weave into baskets to winnow the rice." The imagery works hand in hand with the vivid watercolor illustrations on every page of this book to provide the audience with a powerful reading experience.

Classroom Recommendations
Ages 5 and up. This text would serve nicely as a read aloud for any grade level. As an independent read, I would suggest 3rd grade or higher. This is mostly because there is some more sophisticated language throughout the text. I would also recommend that teachers cover some background on the tradition to scaffold student's understanding of the cultural content in the text. The author provides some useful background information at the back of the book, which can serve as a great resource.