Signed edition

This book of poetry by Nikki Grinds is about a young boy who meets an unlikely friend in a man. The book reads individually as poems, but together form a story as a whole. ( )

My Man Blue is a great book that tells the story of a young boy growing up without a father who is raised by a neighborhood friend who teaches him the lessons of life and how to be a man. I feel that this book is perfect for a child who may be introduced to a new spouse of a family member, or a little boy who may not have a father figure around. This book is also similar to Kimberly Willis Holt's book Mister and Me because of its ability to allow us to see these experiences of a new "friend" being introduced to their lives. ( )

"My Man Blue" by writer Nikki Grimes and illustrator Jerome Lagarrigue is a collection of poems. The collection is brought out by unique artwork with the detail sticking out of the canvas from the acrylic paint. Each poem with a title accompanying it speaks of a boy's life when a guy, who is an old friend of his mom, moves back into the neighborhood. The boy is at first reluctant of this guy, called Blue. But when the poem reveals Blue lost his son, the boy, who lost his dad, starts to understand why he is around. The poems, from then on, shows how the boy grows closer to Blue. The poems shows Blue's positive influence on the boy. He starts to keep his composure, or figuring out situations by thinking "what would Blue do?" or " Blue says..." These are a set of poems that describes a boy gaining a new father-figure in his life, a role model to look up to. This guy built like a boxer, with gold teeth, named Blue, is who the boy wants to be like when he grows up; and the poems tell this beautifully. ( )

A story about a boy with an absent father who finds a friend in a neighborhood elder who teaches him what is means to be a strong man. This story is told in rythm and poems.