Here, ideal for African-American History Month, is a stunningly beautiful book consisting of portraits-in pictures and words-of twenty outstanding African-Americans. The individuals range from historical to contemporary figures, such as the dancer Judith Jamison, and represent diverse fields of endeavor, from the law (Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall) to athletics, science, and more. For each individual, there is a three-page biography by the noted author Tonya Bolden and a striking black-and-white portrait that captures not only the subject's likeness but is a work of art in itself. A book to inspire, to teach, or to display, with its large trim size and striking design, it is as handsome as it is important. Paintings by Ansel Pitcairn. Grade 4-8-While there is a wealth of information currently available to children about African-American historical figures, there is still a great deal of room for more biographies of contemporary African-American achievers. Bolden profiles 20 people, ranging from Matthew Henson, Thurgood Marshall, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to Paul Robeson, Ruth Simmons, Judith Jamison, and Charlayne Hunter-Gault. The sketches, as the author states in the introduction, are intended to capture something of the essence of these people. She succeeds by using lively language, anecdotal information, and quotations from the subjects themselves. The book is arranged chronologically, beginning with Frederick Douglass, born around 1818, and ending with Ben Carson, born in 1951. Each entry is accompanied by a striking, if somewhat glamorized, full-page portrait done in deep, rich shades of brown. A smaller painting of the subject appears on the final page of the profile. A lengthy list of suggested reading is appended. A fine addition to any library. Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Gr. 3-5. Well known for her books on notable personalities, among them The Book of African American Women (1997), Bolden offers another winning collection of 20 biographical essays. From Dizzy Gillespie and W. E. B. Du Bois to Gwendolyn Brooks and Judith Jamison, the collection ranges from historical to contemporary figures who made their mark in fields as diverse as athletics, politics, science, and the arts. Each profile lists expected biographical information, but offers even more by way of keen insights into a subject's personality based on interviews and information drawn from personal memoirs. Readers get a sense of the childhood dreams of journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, for instance, when they learn that comic-strip ace Brenda Starr first stirred Hunter-Gault's desire to report the news. Pitcairn's beautifully rendered sepia-toned portraits make each subject jump from the page, beckoning children to come ever closer and learn. Source notes and a suggested reading list are appended. Terry Glover Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Tonya Bolden is the author of more than thirty books.  She lives in New York City.