The world lost poet, author, and civil rights activist Nikki Giovanni on Monday. The death of the 81-year-old literary legend and one of the leaders of the Black literary world was announced in a statement by her friend and fellow writer Renée Watson.

“The acclaimed poet, Black Arts Movement icon whose poems of wit, wonder, and wisdom were celebrated in children’s books, on keynote stages and television shows, and in more than two dozen bestselling poetry collections, died peacefully on December 9, 2024, with her life-long partner, Virginia [Ginney] Fowler, by her side,” the announcement read. “As one of the cultural icons of the Black Arts and Civil Rights Movements, she became friends with Rosa Parks, Aretha Franklin, James Baldwin, Nina Simone, and Muhammad Ali, and inspired generations of students, artists, activists, musicians, scholars and human beings, young and old.”

Giovanni inspired and taught generations of writers, including Kwame Alexander, who was her student at Virginia Teach. On Instagram, Alexander posted a story about a trip he took with Giovanni to Ghana.

It read, in part: “We visited Kakum rainforest. The canopy walkway is almost 200 feet above ground. She was excited to walk the SEVEN canopies. I was not. Told her I would wait for her to return. You see, I’m 6’4 and afraid of heights. I could hear her laughing behind me as we approached the first canopy. Then, she pushed me forward. Onto the flimsy-looking bridge and I freaked out. Turned around, aiming to get off. But she was there. Right behind me. On the bridge. Smiling. Telling me to go forward. Pushing me towards the next bridge I’d have to cross. I was walking so slow, and at some point she passed me. And I followed her. Trying to catch up. I guess I’ve always seen my future through Nikki. What a journey. What a blessed journey. When Mahalia and Aretha sing How I got over? How I got over? You know my soul looks back and wonder…I know it was God. And Nikki. And, I’m so thankful. So very grateful. Onwards!”

For those looking to celebrate her life in her work, below are SLJ reviews of Giovanni titles and anthologies that include her poems. (Books are listed by publishing date, newest first.)

‘Tis the Season: A Lift-the-Flap Advent Calendar Full of Christmas Poems. illus. by Richard Jones. Nosy Crow. ISBN 9798887770949.
K-Gr 2–Readers will find a daily dose of holiday cheer in this charming poetry Advent calendar lift-the-flap board book. From December 1 until Christmas, each day has a new poem, accompanied by delightful hidden illustrations. Poets, including Ogden Nash, Nikki Giovanni, John Agard, and more, cover topics like winter, snow, animals, and Christmas—there’s something to spark everyone’s imagination. Poems range in length from a few lines to half a page, so none are too long to hold a child’s interest. Each spread has multiple poems with relatively small text for a board book and may deter younger children. The flaps are different shapes and sizes, with the largest being the Christmas Eve poem. Illustrations are beautiful and festive, though they lack the high contrast typical for board books and are smaller than expected. VERDICT A lovely holiday poetry book that would do well in children’s nonfiction with other poetry titles.

Poemhood: Our Black Revival: History, Folklore & the Black Experience: A Young Adult Poetry Anthology by Amber McBride, Taylor Byas & Erica ­Martin, eds. HarperTeen. ISBN 9780063225282.
Gr 9 Up–An anthology of poems and stories on the Black experience from more than 35 acclaimed poets, including Kwame Alexander, Ibi Zoboi, and Nikki Giovanni. Their stories are personal, vivid, meaningful, powerful, tragic, and beautiful. The writers remember reveling in happy times with grandparents gone to glory; breaking the vicious cycle of generational trauma; admiring the heavenly glow of nature; persevering through the systemic hardships of being Black; migrating North during the harrowing era of Jim Crow; celebrating the kink, curl, and coil of so-called “unprofessional” hair; and lauding the colorful talents that birthed the Harlem Renaissance. There are also harder moments, past and present, such as the horror of a Black child gruesomely shot by a police officer while playing outside. This outspoken, unrelenting, open, joyful, and insightful book can be piercing and hard-hitting—stories of injustice, racism, abuse, and boldface smite for Black culture, beauty, and hair sting. But readers’ emotions will bob between low and helpless to happy and high, and everything in between, given the writers’ skill at painting images with words. Though most of the experiences penned in this anthology are rooted in Black culture, several poems reflect the overall human experience, with themes of grief and generational trauma. VERDICT An excellent collection of poetry that is an insightful read on the Black experience. A great choice for high school libraries and fans of honest and thought-provoking poetry.

A Whale of a Time: A Funny Poem for Each Day of the Year by Lou Peacock, sel. illus. by Matt Hunt. Nosy Crow. ISBN 9798887770253.
PreS-Gr 5–A balanced collection of poetry punctuated with vibrant mixed media art, this oversized selection reflects seasonal changes, as each section is collected by month for daily readings. Layouts showcase diverse, bold illustrations created by paint, pens, crayons, and digital. Hunt’s artistic interpretation of poetry, paired with Peacock’s selections per spread, offer an imaginative and brilliant twist to the limericks, haiku, free verse, odes, and other rhymes. A deliciously disgusting image of a cheerful lad slurping worms while surrounded by birds on wet grass takes center stage between “The Worm” on April 3rd and “Nobody Loves Me, Everybody Hates Me” on April 4th. Children will grin, wondering if this is the boy who pretended to eat the worm, or who actually does eat them! The poems surround the space, with alliteration, onomatopoeia, and rhythm bouncing beautifully off the tongue. Jack Prelutsky, Valerie Bloom, John Agard, Spike Milligan, Ogden Nash, Edward Lear, Joshua Seigal, and Nikki Giovanni appear multiple times, among other authors, and while many of the poems are humorous, several are more introspective. Minor graphic design issues to fit some poems are distracting but rare. A few of the poems are quite advanced (Maya Angelou’s “On Aging” and Jenny Joseph’s “Warning”) and would be best for older readers, while others are solidly for preschoolers. Back matter includes indices of authors, poems, and first lines. VERDICT A poetic gem for oversized collections that circulate well. Purchase this title to share daily poems at the reference desk or other display areas.

A Library by Nikki Giovanni. illus. by Erin Robinson. HarperCollins/Versify. ISBN 9780358387657.
PreS-Gr 2–What is a library? “A place to be free.” A Black girl with her afro pulled into puffs, an old-fashioned collared dress, white socks, and black Mary Janes helps her grandmother with household chores before running off to the library to read, to dream, and to be fully herself. Later she returns home with an armful of books and helps with chores again before covering up with a quilt and a book to “read…to be another me.” Poetic text and evocative, textured illustrations work in concert to show how books and libraries enable people to imagine other lives—including other versions of their own selves. In an author’s note, “My Library,” Giovanni describes her early library experience in Knoxville, TN, and her first librarian, who helped her get books outside of the “colored” library. VERDICT A must-have for school and public libraries; a joyful promotion of reading and where it takes the imagination, and the resources that support it.

I Am Loved by Nikki Giovanni. illus. by Ashley Bryan. S. & S./Atheneum. ISBN 9781534404922.
PreS-Gr 4–A legendary pair presents a volume of verse worth remembering. Bryan's recognizably vibrant, colorful, and moving illustrations accompany a selection of Giovanni's poems (both new and previously published). The electric blue, sunny yellow, warm brown, bright purple, etc., of the front-cover illustration set an upbeat tone that Bryan maintains throughout (even in "A Song of a Blackbird," a poem about death). While the topics range from dance to self-reflection to nature to friendship, each illustration affirms the beauty and worth of black and brown children. Several poems recall slavery and the civil rights movement, providing a historical source of strength and courage for contemporary readers. One poem, "I Am a Mirror," is told from the first-person perspective of the mylar mirror attached to the facing page. The speaker travels back generationally, beginning with "I reflect the grace / Of my mother..." and going back to the great-grandfather and the ancestors, taking an attribute from each generation that results in a strong individual. The presentation can be viewed as an almost literal interpretation of Rudine Sims Bishop's concept of a mirror book. VERDICT A combination of poetry and art that will bring readers back again and again.

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat by Nikki Giovanni, ed. illus. by Kristen Balouch et al. Sourcebooks/eXplore. ISBN 9781402210488.
Gr 4-8–This anthology highlights the use of rhythm and vernacular in hip-hop, rap, and African-American poetry. The 51 pieceswhich also include a passage from Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speechuse gospel rhythms, "hambone" rhythms (which Giovanni explains in her informative introduction), jazz and blues rhythms, and language from the fields and the city streets. Artists range from Langston Hughes to Kanye West, from Eloise Greenfield to Queen Latifah. Much of the subject matter focuses on hope, self-esteem, respect for the past, and determination to make a better future. A few selections are more playful, like an excerpt from "Principal's Office" by Young MC. The accompanying CD enables readers to hear many of the pieces spoken or performed by the artists. Meanwhile, a team of five illustrators provides colorful, lively pictures that add atmosphere and personality (without a lot of depth, however). This volume is much denser than it first appears, and will provide classroom teachers with a substantial amount of material. The fact that an important historical writer like James Weldon Johnson appears in the same book as contemporary musician Lauryn Hill may help some kids see the older writers with a fresh eye, and may also introduce today's artists to teachers and librarians. Granted, not all of the rap and/or hip-hop verses have the concise nature of what has been considered "real" poetry, and, in this context, some of them work better in audio than on the printed page. Still, this is an interesting, worthwhile collection.

On My Journey Now: Looking at African-American History Through the Spirituals by Nikki Giovanni. Candlewick. ISBN 9780763628857.
Gr 8-Up–The songs written and first sung by African-American slaves were inspired by a host of human needs: to express emotion, to call God, to remain heartened under oppression, and, perhaps most importantly, to communicate covertly, often about the Underground Railroad. Giovanni brings these motives home in this short, impressionistic look at the lives of the slaves, beginning with their holding in places such as Cape Coast Castle and Goree Island, through the end of the Civil War, when members of divided families desperately attempted to track one another down. Giovanni is a poet, and the book has cadence; in tone, it almost reads like the transcript of a speech or sermon, as the author is generous with her own opinions and often refers to herself within the text. The spirituals themselves are thoughtfully placed and their complete lyrics are printed as back matter but Giovanni doesn't always effectively connect the songs to the travails they are meant to communicate. Light on dates, time lines, or political explanations, this is neither a thorough nor an academic history; rather, it is an invitation for readers to look into the lives of figures such as Nat Turner and Frederick Douglass, and events such as the Stono uprising and the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act. A glossary of terms will get them started.

Poetry Speaks to Children by Elise Paschen, ed. illus. by Judy Love et al. Sourcebooks. ISBN 9781402203299.
Gr 3-8–A fine, basic collection. Approximately half of the 97 selections are read or performed on the accompanying CD. The book provides a mix of adult writers (Rita Dove, Seamus Heaney, and Billy Collins, among others) and those whose work is specifically for children, such as X. J. Kennedy and Mary Ann Hoberman. Topics include childhood, animals, nonsense poems, and humor (including C. K. Williams's "Gas," which dwells on the fact that -FARTING IS FORBIDDEN! -). The three illustrators have captured the different tones of the selections, from a comic portrait of the Jabberwock slayer wearing a colander and wielding a plunger and the wailing children in William Stafford's "First Grade," to the moving paintings of a girl with flowers echoing the natural images of James Berry's "Okay, Brown Girl, Okay." The CD gives children the opportunity to hear several of the poets, such as Robert Frost reading "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and Langston Hughes reading "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." They hear a variety of accents and dialects -an Irish lilt, New England inflections, or James Berry's lilting Jamaican-British voice. Readers of Roald Dahl's books will enjoy hearing him read "The Dentist and the Crocodile," and fans of The Lord of the Rings books and movies will appreciate hearing Tolkien read "Frodo's Song in Bree." Joy Harjo frames her "Eagle Poem" with a haunting vocalization that echoes its serious tone.

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, illus. by Bryan Collier. Holt. ISBN 9780805071061.
Gr 3-5–Rosa Parks's personal story moves quickly into a summary of the Civil Rights movement in this striking picture book. Parks is introduced in idealized terms. She cares for her ill mother and is married to -one of the best barbers in the county. - Sewing in an alterations department, -Rosa Parks was the best seamstress. Her needle and thread flew through her hands like the gold spinning from Rumpelstiltskin's loom. - Soon the story moves to her famous refusal to give up her seat on the bus, but readers lose sight of her as she waits to be arrested. Giovanni turns to explaining the response of the Women's Political Caucus, which led to the bus boycott in Montgomery. A few events of the movement are interjected -the Supreme Court decision in "Brown v. Board of Education", the aftermath and reactions to the murder of Emmett Till, the role of Martin Luther King, Jr., as spokesperson. Collier's watercolor and collage scenes are deeply hued and luminous, incorporating abstract and surreal elements along with the realistic figures. Set on colored pages, these illustrations include an effective double foldout page with the crowd of successful walkers facing a courthouse representing the 1956 Supreme Court verdict against segregation on the buses. Many readers will wonder how it all went for Parks after her arrest, and there are no added notes. Purposeful in its telling, this is a handsome and thought-provoking introduction to these watershed acts of civil disobedience.

Just For You!: The Girls In The Circle by Nikki Giovanni. illus. by Cathy Ann Johnson. ISBN 9780439568616.
K-Gr 2–These four easy readers, all of which feature African-American characters, are a bit uneven in quality. All begin with tips for adults on reading aloud and end with questions and activities that encourage youngsters to relate to the stories' themes. "Daddy", in which a boy tells about his weekly visit with his father, is a sweet and gentle look at a difficult topic with watercolor illustrations that match the mood, while "What Do You Know?", which relates a young girl's early-morning romp through fresh snow, is wordy with uninspired text and illustrations. "Girls" and "Bath!" are both fun stories with hit-and-miss rhyming styles and illustrations that bring the texts to life."

Grand Fathers: Reminiscences, Poems, Recipes, and Photos of the Keepers of Our Traditions by Nikki Giovanni, ed. Holt. ISBN 9780805054842.
Gr 6-Up–A companion volume to Giovanni's Grand Mothers (Holt, 1995). More than 40 individuals from all walks of life have contributed pieces to this anthology, and the literary quality and interest level vary considerably. Some of the pieces are by well-known writers and poets-Liz Rosenberg, Rita Dove, and Ashley Bryan-while others are by first-time authors. Some of the vignettes and biographical sketches reveal more about the writers than about their subjects; few are memorable. There are some links with history, notably in a section on great grandfathers of Civil War vintage, but many of the portraits never rise above the conventional and predictable. The overall effect is of repetition, forgivable in an oral-history project, but less tolerable in a children's book perhaps. While these grandfathers were important figures to the writers, few of them have been able to convey a compelling sense of the individuality or larger significance of the men in question.

The Sun Is So Quiet by Nikki Giovanni. illus. by Ashley Bryan. Holt. ISBN 9780805041194.
Gr 3-5–There is an uneven contrast in these 13 poems, 12 of which have been previously published. They leave readers cold or hot, not only by their content but by their strength of imagery. The last poem reads like a shared stream of consciousness but is excitingly vivid in its imagery and succeeds in evoking the concept of quiet. The poet loves to include unlikely twists--a child prepares for winter by storing up books, the transformation from snowflake to rain to flower, the prickled pickle tongue-twister poem, and endless references to kissing. "The Reason I Like Chocolate" brings a sense of personal involvement to all who read it. But fairies in the sky for the post-Apollo generation--too cute! There is nothing quiet about the gouache and tempera paint illustrations--they are brilliant, almost bouncing off the page regardless of the temperament of the poem. The brilliant yellows, the vibrant patchwork quilts, and the shapeshifting snowflakes provide a visual feast, as if at times trying to bring life to the words. VERDICT Reserve this one for well-stocked collections.

The Genie in the Jar by Nikki Giovanni. illus by Christopher Raschka. Holt. ISBN 9780805041187.
PreS Up–This profound book is as lyrical as poetry and as patterned as a lullaby, both simple and complex, concrete and elusive. In it, a black woman repeatedly admonishes her daughter, "Careful baby, don't prick your finger," but also encourages her to "take a note and spin it around," and "to take the air and weave the sky around the Black loom." Finally, the child is enfolded in her mother's arms and encircled by the women of the "Black loom" before she soars in independence. Demonstrating prototypical interdependence of words and pictures, Raschka's illustrations and Giovanni's words are inseparable in reading and understanding the whole. The artist's bold lines are few, but not a single one is wasted or out of place. The girl is so full of life that she fairly floats on backgrounds ranging from warm brown, to glowing gold, to richest black. Turning convention on its ear, the safe circle of black women is placed on a black background, while the warnings appear on white. The child is seen dancing, singing, and waving strands of sky in and out of the circle of women as her dress turns tender sky blue; she has internalized the freedom of the sky. In a ritual of sanctuary and protection, she is released, genie-like, from her mother's arms within the embracing circle of community into joyous, sunny gold possibilities. Symbolic on many levels, this poem is addressed to a black audience, but its message is undeniably universal. It is as cautionary and as reassuring as a creative life, lived with both risk and self-fulfillment.

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy Like My Sister Kate: Looking at the Harlem Renaissance Through Poems by Nikki Giovanni. Holt. ISBN 9780805034943.
Gr 9-Up–A remarkable collection of poetry from the Harlem Renaissance and beyond, stitched together with commentary by Giovanni. Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, Robert Hayden, Ntozake Shange, and Gwendolyn Brooks are among the powerful voices included. W.E.B. DuBois, not primarily known as a poet, is shown here to be one of accomplishment. After each poem, Giovanni points out, in a readable, almost conversational style, the poet's significance and relationship to the movement. The choice of poems is sometimes idiosyncratic, and the reminiscences are quite personal and sometimes quirky. But Giovanni is always on the mark, even when she pursues a tangent, and always comes back to the role of the Harlem Renaissance in influencing African American artists. As the book progresses, the poetry becomes more difficult, and those who seek to use it as a textbook should be prepared to help students understand some of the selections. VERDICT There are some serious, provocative, and violent themes, but this title is an important resource for those interested in poetry and in understanding the African American experience.

Grand Mothers: Poems, Reminiscences, and Short Stories about the Keepers of Our Traditions by Nikki Giovanni. Holt. ISBN 9780805027662.
Gr 6-Up–Giovanni claims that this book is not balanced, as she says of the authors, "We are mostly Southern, pan Asian, and black." But balance is not the issue here: it's the impressive span of these stories by and about grandmothers-from the Civil War to the present-from Asia, Africa, majority and minority America, in all sizes, colors, and ages. Most impressive are the short stories by well-known writers such as Maxine Hong Kingston and Gloria Naylor, some who have yet to achieve public acclaim. The "Warm Hearth Writers" Workshop, a group of writers at a retirement center, is also represented, with reminiscences and reports about their own grandmothers. The quality of these reports is uneven, but the lives included are interesting nonetheless. While this inconsistency may be disconcerting to some, the personal qualities of the narrators and the intent of the book-to celebrate grandmothers in a direct, outspoken way, warts and all-makes it a first purchase.

Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni. illus by Larry Johnson. Scholastic. ISBN 9780590470742.
PreS-Gr 2–Opulent double-spread paintings provide a bold setting for a simple poem. Giovanni remembers a Knoxville, Tennessee summer in all its touching, tasty, feel-good glory as she tells of a young black girl eating produce fresh from her daddy's garden, listening to the church choir, and spending loving time with her grandma. Many of Johnson's illustrations have the soft-focus blur of distant memory-memories that are perhaps most powerful for members of this Tennessee community, but the pure pleasures of family, neighbors, and summer have universal appeal. Though some children may be less familiar with okra and buttermilk, they're sure to relate to the ice cream, bare feet, and a grandmother's hugs. VERDICT A good choice for bedtime or gentle sharing, this book could also prove useful in a variety of educational settings.