Just the Two of Us. Ill. by Kadir Nelson

"Just the two of us,
Building castles in the sky.
Just the two of us,
You and I."

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smith, Will. 2001. Just the Two of Us. Ill. By Kadir Nelson. New York : Scholastic. ISBN 9780439087926.

PLOT SUMMARY
This book is an illustrated version of Will Smith’s rap song, “Just the Two of Us,” written for his first born son. The chorus is pulled from Bill Withers & Grover Washington, Jr.’s 1981 Grammy Award-winning Jazz song of the same title. Smith’s version is a poem from Father to Son expressing the Father’s devotion to his boy. He gives advice on going through life and pledges to always be there for his son -in good times and bad.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Will Smith's song is a call to all fathers to teach their children the values of dignity, integrity, and honor. The book instills good morals and values while illustrating love, support, and encouragement. The lyrics invoke the unique relationship between father and son. Smith's genuine lyrics and Nelson's amazing illustrations capture the intensity of a father's love and the pure emotions of the growing son.

I try to be a tough dad, but you be makin me laugh
Crazy joy, when I see the eyes of my baby boy
I pledge to you, I will always do
Everything I can
Show you how to be a man

The pencil and oil illustrations by Kadir Nelson are breathtaking. They follow the development of the father-son relationship and show the life stages of the baby growing into a young man, while the father grows older. Kadir’s ability to portray internal emotion is astounding. Through the posture, gesture, and lighting of the paintings he brings the story to life in such a way that the reader must also experience the father’s devotion.

This book is especially nice for a father or a young man missing his daddy; but every parent will recognize that bond between parent and child. This love is something every child deserves. Read this book aloud with your child -let them hear it from you too. Embrace them and teach them so that they will feel loved and in return, love.

Touched your head gently, felt my heart melt
Cause I know I loved you more than life itself
Then to my knees, and I begged the Lord please
Let me be a good daddy, all he needs
Love, knowledge, discipline too
I pledge my life to you

Featured Artist Biography: Kadir Nelson
Although Nelson works in a variety of styles, he retains a sense of identity and focus in his work. Nelson’s images are instantly identifiable by the emotion and strength of his subject matter. Kadir Nelson is an award-winning African American artist and illustrator. Born in Washington D.C., he is a graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and lives in San Diego, CA with his family. He is a two-time Caldecott Honor Award winner; he also won the Coretta Scott King Author Award and the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for We Are the Ship in 2009. (http://www.kadirnelson.com/)

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Critics have used the words "expressive," "rewarding," and "uplifting" to describe Nelson's art.

He stated on his website: "My work is all about healing and giving people a sense of hope and nobility, I want to show the strength and integrity of the human spirit."

His illustrations for Just the Two of Us won him an NAACP Image Award. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadir_Nelson

CONNECTIONS
"Just the Two of Us" is a 1981 Grammy Award-winning Jazz song recorded by Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers.

http://kadirnelson.com/ Visit his website to learn more and see slides of his art.

Show some of his artwork in class. Initiate a conversation about the different styles or subjects. Use this book to talk about fathers, rap music, love...

Books illustrated by Kadir Nelson:
Debbie Allen, Brothers of the Knight, Dial Books (New York, NY), 1999.
Debbie Allen, Dancing in the Wings, Dial Books (New York, NY), 2000.
Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan, Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2000.
Jerdine Nolen, Big Jabe, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.
Will Smith, Just the Two of Us, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.
Ann Grifalconi, The Village That Vanished, Dial Books (New York, NY), 2002.
Nikki Grimes, Under the Christmas Tree, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.
Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, Please, Baby, Please, Simon & Schuster, 2002.
Jerdine Nolen, Thunder Rose, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.
Ntozake Shange, ellington was not a street, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.
(With others) Tina Packer, Tales from Shakespeare, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.
Jerdine Nolen, Hewitt Anderson's Big Life, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2005.
Illustrations have appeared in New Yorker and Sports Illustrated.
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/951/Nelson-Kadir.html#ixzz0QaazgnA2

Film
The Pursuit of Happyness. 2006. Will Smith plays a struggling salesman who takes custody of his son (Jayden Smith) as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional endeavor. This film won many awards and nominations. The movie is "inspired” by the true story of Chris Gardner, who was among San Francisco's working homeless in the early '80s and managed to pull himself and his young son up by the bootstraps. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454921/awards