Welcome to Litsy!

“This is for the undefeated. This is for you. And you. And you.”

The Undefeated is a moving tribute to African American history, honoring heroes, survivors, and everyday people whose voices shape the past and present. In the classroom, this book can support lessons on history, social justice, perseverance, and identity. It‘s especially powerful for sparking discussions about representation and inspiring students to see themselves as part of a larger story.

In The Undefeated, the art is organized with bold compositions, realistic textures, and powerful use of space and contrast. Kadir Nelson‘s detailed portraits and use of light and shadow emphasize both struggle and triumph. The illustrations don‘t just accompany the words, they give them weight, turning the poem into a visual celebration of Black history and resilience.

#JulyJazz Say 4: The Undefeated, Unbowed, Unbending of them #StarsAndStripes. The strength of this poetry lies in its giving space for the “undiscovered” – the amazing people who are yet to come and make a difference in this bright, broken, beautiful world we live in. My full review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-nLY

“The Undefeated is the perfect framework for unveiling known and unknown events and people in African American history. The stark white backdrop for the realistic portraits that permeate this beautiful picturebook create a vast, expansive feeling that reveals the profound magnitude of the emotions laid bare by the poetry.“ See the full review of this Caldecott Award winner here: https://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/review/xvii-1/9/

“This is for the unlimited, unstoppable ones. The dreamers and the Doers, who came across the big sea of our imagination and show us the majestic shores of the promised land.

This book would be a great addition to a classroom library. And would make a great classroom lesson to both poetry and an introduction to the civil rights movement.

The illustrations in this book are amazing and the story is very inspiring. This book is considered to be a letter to black life in the United States.

“The righteous marching ones who sang we shall not be moved”

In The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander offers a powerful tribute to the resilience and spirit of the African American community. Paired with Kadir Nelson's stunning illustrations, this poignant poem celebrates the struggles and triumphs of Black individuals throughout history. This Caldecott Medal-winning book inspires readers to honor their heritage and embrace their identities, making it a vital resource for discussions about culture and hope.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, features striking artwork that complements its powerful message of resilience and hope in the African American community. The poem celebrates the struggles and triumphs of Black individuals, emphasizing strength and perseverance. Awarded the 2020 Caldecott Medal, it serves as an essential resource for teaching history, culture, and identity to young readers.

“This is for the undefeated. This is for you. And you. And you. This is for us.”

In the classroom this book could be used to discuss historical events. The author does not directly mention events so students can use context to figure out what is being talked about.

This is a powerful book that goes through African American history and the adversities faced. The language used and images are impactful.

“The righteous marching ones who sang we shall not be moved”

I think this book uses powerful language and imagery that may be too strong for young learners. I would recommend this book for older children at least eight years of age.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson, 2020. Caldecott Award Winning Book. This book talks about all of the different people who have participated in the civil rights movement for black Americans. This book highlights historical moments of black history in America with powerful language and visuals.

This book is a love letter to Black life in the United Staes. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes.
Awards won: Caldecott Medal
Purpose of Award: Most distinguished American Picture Book for Children
Author: Kwame Alexander
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Date of publication:
Genre: Non-fiction history book

This book won the Caldecott, Newberry, and Woodson awards. It was published in 2019. This book was so inspiring and the images were so raw and emotional. This would be a great book to read to children and teach them our country‘s history.

“This is for the unafraid. The audacious ones who carried the red, white, and weary blues on the battlefield to save an imperfect Union.”

“This is for the unspeakable”

Unspeakable, undiscovered, unbelievable, unbending,undefeated.

This book won numerous awards such as Caldecott, newbery, Woodson, and coretta scott king award. This is a powerful book about black history and the people who fought for their freedom. It relays its message through repetition of words and phrases to speak for the unspeakable and the lives lost. It talks about the culture and achievers as well as the fighters.

“ This is for the underdogs and the uncertain, the unspoken but no longer untitled.”

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson, is a Caldecott medal winner, Newberry honor book, and won a Woodson award. (2019). This book is a tribute to Black Americans. This book gave me chills, it is beautifully written and the illustrations truly speak for themselves.

This book is wonderful and really moving. 10/10

The undefeated by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson was published in 2019 and has won the Caldecott and Newberry medal. This book illustrates black figures who have helped the nation on all levels. I really love this book because it highlights those who are known and yet to known.

….who shine their light for the world to see and don‘t stop til the break of dawn.

This is the perfect book to bring up if learning about Martin Luther king jr, or even Memorial Day. I absolutely loved reading this book and believe students should have this book read to them.

The Woodson award book, The undefeated was an absolute amazing read. I believe everyone should have to read this book to understand how many people have conquered this world through the difficulties. It‘s an eye opener and I believe would help some people understand Black Lives Matter a little more.

“The righteous marching ones who sand we shall not be moved because black lives matter”

I loved this book. I think that every classroom should have this book. I think this would be a great book to education students with black lives matter. I even think you can read this book to older students to get the message across. This book was one of my favorites so far

I love love love this book so much. It was so powerful and so much meaning.
Awards Woodson award
The Caldecott award
New berry Honor Book

This is for the unforgettable. The swift and sweet ones who hurdled history and opened a world of possible.

Black history, heroes, perseverance

The Undefeated, Caldecott recipient, is a nonfiction black history book that discusses the lost heroes. With the strength and courage it takes to be part of black America then and now.

favorite quote: “because black lives matter.”

This book would be great to use when teaching about Black Lives Matter and Black empowerment. I love how it shows real life people and events that have happened in America.

Caldecott Medal, Newberry Honor, & Woodson Award, published in 2019. The illustrations in this book are very realistic looking. I like the way that this book told the story about Black America and teaches children to continue to fight and be brave. I also liked how both the story and illustrations referred to real life people so readers can relate to the book at a deeper level.