Review: In his beautifully illustrated poem, The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander weaves the past and present triumphs and struggles of African Americans in the United States. Alexander does not shy away from pain and trauma such as enslavement and lends a voice for "unspeakable" who have lost their lives during the Middle Passage as well as the present abuse of police brutality. Despite these struggles, the book also does a marvelous job in also celebrating Black joy, achievements, and triumphs by highlighting popular individuals from a variety of fields such as artists, civil rights activists, poets, and writers. The book depicts recognizable individuals such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Jesse Owens, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but also lesser known but nonetheless remarkable individuals too such as Sarah Vaughan and Romare Bearden. 

   The text also has visual cues signal meaning as some words are in a larger font to signal signficance and others words that reference to movements or concepts are in italics. Nelson's illustrations are magnificent, photo-realistic and are rendered in oil. His attention to detail is incredible. The book concludes with an afterword from Alexander and a glossary of the individuals mentioned in the book. I would have liked a little more detailed back matter and a bibliography for further reading. Despite these quibbles, it is clear why The Undefeated was awarded the 2020 Caldecott, the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and was the 2020 Newbery Honor Book. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: The poem does not shy away from the traumas of slavery and police brutality. Recommended for Grades 3 and up.

If you like this book try: Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison, Young, Gifted, and Black by Jamia Wilson