SOURCE: A review of The Sweet and Sour Animal Book and Black Misery, in New York Times Book Review, February 12, 1995, p. 18.

In the following review, Chambers discusses the appeal of Hughes's simple language and life experiences in three books for children.

Langston Hughes (1902–67) was able to turn sophisticated and complex ideas into very simple language. A lifelong fan of jazz and blues, Hughes shared with musicians the gift of flow. His words could ride above you, breeze by or lift you like Aladdin's magic carpet. He often wrote in the AAB style of blues lyricists: the first line repeated for emphasis, the third line providing the payoff or switch. One of my favorite verses from Blues Montage goes:

     Baby, baby, please don't snore so loud.
     Baby, baby, please don't snore so loud.
     You just a lil' bit of woman …
     But you sound like a great big crowd.

In...