New insights on black childhood in James Baldwin’s only children’s book

Back in print after 40 years, “Little Man, Little Man,” James Baldwin’s only book for children, follows 4-year-old TJ as he explore his 1970s Harlem neighborhood. But the book is also a “child’s story for adults,” as its original book jacket noted — it deals with police brutality, urban blight as a consequence of housing segregation, and the stifling of economic opportunity, says CCSRE Director Jennifer DeVere Brody, who co-edited the new edition with Nicholas Boggs, clinical assistant professor of English at New York University.

Brody, a professor of theater and performance studies, shared her insights about the book in a Q&A.

What drew you to this project of editing and republishing James Baldwin’s only children’s book?

Jennifer DeVere Brody: I encountered an undergraduate thesis by Nicholas Boggs, clinical assistant professor of English at New York University, on “Little Man, Little Man” while I was completing a manuscript review, and invited him to present work in a seminar I was teaching on James Baldwin. It was clear that the book was important to understanding Baldwin’s ethic of collaboration and that it provides new insights about black innocence.

How did Baldwin’s personal history growing up in Harlem as the oldest of nine children influence this book?

James Baldwin and Tejan “TJ” Karefa, Summer 1978. Baldwin Family Photo.

Brody: The book is set in Harlem and was written at the behest of his nephew and niece, Tejan Karefa-Smart and Aisha Karefa-Smart, both of whom contribute to our new edition. Baldwin said he did not have a childhood but he cared deeply about the children in his family and about America’s future as well.

In the years since “Little Man, Little Man” was first published, what has changed, and what has stayed the same, about black childhood? How might the book help us reflect on the experiences of children in other marginalized communities?

Brody: The book is still timely as we are still confronted by police brutality, urban blight as a result of housing segregation, and the stifling of economic opportunity — to name just a few of the things dealt with in the book. It is important to remember that book also speaks about the beauty of black aesthetics, the imagination of black people, and also about black joy — whether dancing, music, or exploration. Baldwin renders the complexity of existence in Spanish Harlem, the ways of learning new things — whether from the older girl in the book named Blinky, who models black masculinity for the main character TJ, or through what an “adiós” means — or how laughter cures wounds.

How might we better appreciate and celebrate this book today, as compared to when it was first published?

Brody: The movement “We Need Diverse Books” helps to set the context. So too, the attention to difference — racial, class, gender — makes the context ripe for reconsideration. The fact that Baldwin is seen as a prophet and prescient American writer concerned with the “myriad meanings of love” since his death in 1987 adds to the significance of his work.

Without giving away too much, what are some of your favorite moments or characters in the book?

Yoran Cazac

Brody: I love Yoran Cazac’s striking color illustrations throughout the book. Among my favorites is the full-page image of the queer girl “Blinky” with her eyeglasses full of sunlight and her perfect braids curled upward toward the sun. The illustrations are abstract and alive.

What lessons does this “child’s story for adults” have for its older readers?

Brody: One of the lessons the book teaches its readers, young and old, is that there is vibrancy in collectivity and connection across differences. These ideas come through not only in the content but also the form of the book and its creation by two men who worked in different media (writing and painting) from different backgrounds (black and white, American and European) to show how black lives matter.

Full Spectrum

Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford

Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity

Written by

The Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity (CCSRE) is Stanford University’s interdisciplinary hub for teaching and research on race and ethnicity.

Full Spectrum

Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade