Filled with Greenfield’s moving poems, complemented by Minter’s dramatic portraits—dominated by rich shades of blue, of women and babies; a unique and moving tribute to the women who caught the babies and continue to do so today. The Women Who Caught the Babies highlights important aspects of the training and work of African American midwives and the ways in which they have helped, and continue to help, so many families by "catching" their babies at birth. The blend of Eloise Greenfield's poetry and Daniel Minter's art evokes heartfelt appreciation of the abilities of African American midwifes over the course of time. The poem, "Africa to America," begins the poetic journey. The poem, "The Women," both heralds the poetry/art pairing and concludes it with a note of gratitude to these women. The poem that ends the book is "Miss Rovenia Mayo," who was the midwife who caught newborn Eloise.

What happens when the family closes the front door and leaves the house for an outing? "The head of cabbage, sitting in the fridge, hears the front door close, hears the click of the key He looks out sees his people leave. He stands in the middle of the floor throws his head back and yells, "PAR-TAY!" Children and adults will experience this house party through the buoyant, rhythmic words of Eloise Greenfield and the playful, exuberant illustrations of Don Tate. Read and join the PAR-TAY!

We were one family among the many thousands. Mama and Daddy leaving home, coming to the city, with their hopes and their courage, their dreams and their children, to make a better life. In this beautiful collection of poems and collage artwork, award winners Eloise Greenfield and Jan Spivey Gilchrist gracefully depict the experiences of families like their own, who found the courage to leave their homes behind during The Great Migration and make new lives for themselves elsewhere. When Eloise Greenfield was four months old, her family moved from their home in Parmele, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C. Before Jan Spivey Gilchrist was born, her mother moved from Arkansas and her father moved from Mississippi. Both settled in Chicago, Illinois. Though none of them knew it at the time, they had all become part of the Great Migration. The Great Migration concludes with a bibliography.

To one young narrator, it's the simple things that mean the most, like sharing laughter with a friend, taking family rides in the country, and kissing her mama's arm.

When this poem was first published in 1978 in Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems, Eloise Greenfield reminded us that love can be found just about anywhere. Now, twenty-five years later, she and celebrated children's book artist Jan Spivey Gilchrist present a stunning, newly illustrated anniversary edition that invites readers to celebrate the simple joys of loving and living.

Love don't mean all that kissing
Like on television
Love Means Daddy
Saying keep your mama company
    till I get back
And me doing it

Sixteen poems tell of love and the simple joys of everyday life, seen through the eyes of a child: playing with a friend, skipping rope, riding on a train--or keeping Mama company till Daddy gets back.

Each of these sixteen "love poems" is spoken straight from the heart of a child. Riding on a train, listening to music, playing with a friend...each poem elicits a new appreciation of the rich content of everyday life. And each poem is accompanied by a beautiful drawing, both portrait and panorama, that deepens the insights contained in the singing words.
For the first time Eloise Greenfield and Diane and Leo Dillon have combined teir rich talents to bring children a book that shows them the joys that come from seeing with a poet's eyes--the eyes of love.

Notable Children's Books of 1978 (ALA)
A Reading Rainbow Selection
Winner, 1990 Recognition of Merit Award (George C. Stone Center for Children's Books, Claremont, CA)

Genny's parents are fighting ...
again.

Her little sister is hiding in the bathroom. Still, Genny is hopeful. Tonight is the night her big brother Larry comes home from the army. Genny is confident that Larry will say exactly the right thing to make the family happy and loving again -- the way they used to be.But when Larry's return doesn't produce the miracle she had counted on, Genny is angry. It takes a sympathetic friend to help her understand that change isn't necessarily bad -- and that families can still love each other, no matter what happens.