Life Doesn't Frighten Me (25th Anniversary Edition)

Life may not frighten me, but I must admit that many of Basquiat's paintings leave me feeling unsettled. I love Maya Angelou's poem though, and I think the combination of paintings and stanzas is good.

“Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” was an excellent poem that was incredibly insightful. First, I liked it because the illustrations accompanied the poem perfectly. All the illustrations looked as though children could have drawn them, which gave the poem more meaning because it was about all the

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things children fear. An example of this would be the line, “That new classroom where/ Boys all pull my hair/ (Kissy little girls/ With their hair in curls)/ They don’t frighten me at all.” The illustration that accompanies these lines is a stick figure drawing of a boy with his arms up ready to pull someone’s hair, standing behind a black chalkboard full of scribbles. I think the child-like illustrations gave the poem an authenticity and deeper insight it wouldn’t have had without them. I also liked the poem because almost every time the author described something scary, she would say afterwards “Life doesn’t frighten me at all.” This is seen through the lines, “Tough guys fight/ All alone at night/ Life doesn’t frighten me at all.” I think the repetitive refrain was very important for this poem, because it reinforces to children that life is not something that should be feared. I believe the main idea of, “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” is to showcase to children that even though there are some scary things in life, they should not be afraid of the world because the good things in life outweigh the bad.

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This book is by poet laureate Maya Angelou. I was drawn to the powerful looking 'king dinosaur' on the cover and the powerful verse within. The poem flows from page to page listing things that are at times legitimately frightening, such as people fighting, panthers, people at school who pull hair

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and frightening noises. The artwork is very stark and interesting while the poem helps readers explore the scary things in life that could be frightening, while subtly suggesting that we have to allow these things to scare us, giving kids a sense of control and exposure to poetry in one powerful package.

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Basquiat illustrates Angelou's poem about being brave, no matter what comes. No inspiration for anyone who doesn't yet feel particularly brave, but could be very good for those who thrive on bravado...

This book, is the cutest depiction of the classic Maya Angelou poem. The book, is great resource to employ when your child is scared anything. Its rhyme scheme creates the calm feeling that is trying to be portrayed to the young audience. However these feeling seems to contrast with the abstract

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artwork that couple the text on each page. The dark use of colors, and depictions of monsters, exude a scary, unknown. The illustrations are very literally the things that one fears the most. The rhyme is how to conquer these fears.

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I was skeptical at first but after reading this book I absolutely loved it! First, the artwork created by Jean-Michel Basquiat is amazingly eccentric and depicts common fears of children. Even though the pictures are scary, they truly enhance the poem and make the story come to life. I also loved

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that the poem was told in a story-like manner throughout the entire book. Also, Maya Angelou repeats the phrase "life doesn't frighten me at all" which reinforces the message of the book: don't be afraid, be strong. This book is about how life truly isn't that scary even though shadows and noises and the dark of night may seem frightening. For example, Maya Angelou's powerful words such as "shadows on the wall, noises down the hall" spark a sense of fear in the reader. But she continues to reassure us that life isn't scary and all we need to do is be brave. Finally, at the end of the book were short biographies of the author and illustrator and a list of more works by each. I liked that the book included this because it gives children the opportunity to explore more works by Maya Angelou and allow children to get to know the author a little better. Just remember; don't be afraid, be strong!

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This book is a poem by Maya Angelou with beautiful illustrations by Jean-Michel Basquiat. I liked this book for many reasons. First, this poem can displays courage, bravery and can relate to any age. It discusses how no matter what tries to scare her, nothing can, “not at all.” The words are

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strong and can relate to a new student in a classroom being bullied or to a more adult situation, such as “tough guys fight[ing] all alone at night.” Secondly, each page is met with a beautiful illustration that strays from the norm. It is often hard to decipher what the pictures are of but, almost always, the text’s description is visible in the picture in some way. These illustrations open up a new type of art to children. In addition, the art appears almost childish and somewhat as if a child drew it. Finally, this book pushes readers to face what they are scared off. The poem can be a good way to teach a lesson on fear and get readers to thinking what scares them and how they could overcome their fears. Overall, this is a very inspirational and moving book that I really enjoyed!

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Overall, I enjoyed this book. Specifically, I loved the layout of the written text. There was often rhymed words at the end of each line or every other line. This allows a reader to put emphasis on particular words and potentially find the written text as more powerful or compelling! The language

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was relatively simple and relatable for readers. For example, if you were going to read this to a class, the page where it states, “I’ve got a magic charm | That I keep up my sleeve”. I know, I had a lucky charm, and so do a lot of people. This allows readers to connect and put themselves in the point of view of the writer. In a way I did like the illustrations but at the same time I did not like some of the illustrations. For a younger class, it could be difficult for students to understand, but maybe older students could benefit more. On page 10, there is an illustration of a dragon. If a reader has a fear of dragons – regardless of age - this illustration may make more of an impact to the reader while reading. On the opposite spectrum, some of the pictures are just too difficult to assess what is going on – which may make it more difficult for readers to relate. I feel as though this book can be taken into many considerations in regard to its overall main idea or theme. For me, I believe the biggest thing is for readers to not be afraid, just in general. It is repetitive and reinforces its readers the importance of not being afraid of things that may be put their way.

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Life Doesn't Frighten Me is a very important book written from the poetry of Maya Angelou set to moving illustrations. This book holds a dear place to me because it is about you staying steadfast even when things in life try to instill fear. I think this is a really good book for students as it can

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show poetry and prose to young audiences, and be a motivation for students to not have fear no matter what life throws their way.

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Interweaving the compelling, frightening, and fascinating Jean-Michel Basquait images with the gentler Maya Angelou poetry delivers a forceful
portrayal of fear and redemption.