In illustrations and rhyme describes the dancing of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, one of the most famous tap dancers of all time.

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)

"The well-known author retells 24 black American folk tales in sure storytelling voice: animal tales, supernatural tales, fanciful and cautionary tales, and slave tales of freedom. All are beautifully readable. With the added attraction of 40 wonderfully expressive paintings by the Dillons, this collection should be snapped up."--(starred) School Library Journal.  

In the tradition of Hamilton's The People Could Fly and In the Beginning, a dramatic new collection of 25 compelling tales from the female African American storytelling tradition. Each story focuses on the role of women--both real and fantastic--and their particular strengths, joys and sorrows. Full-color illustrations.