Welcome to the Cypher

August 15, 2021
Join the cypher in this exploration of the poetic power of hip-hop for young readers. Cyphers are foundational to hip-hop culture, speaking to the ritual practice of rappers, beatboxers, or break dancers gathering in a circle, allowing each participant to take a turn in the spotlight. It's meant to be a protected space to experiment and improvise within a friendly, supportive group. Dill, who's also an anti-racist educator, debuts as a children's author by showcasing the character-building possibilities of the cypher. A white-haired Black male hip-hop elder narrates throughout, highlighting how hip-hop has now grown across multiple generations: "Welcome to the cypher! / Now huddle up nice and snug / You feel that circle around you? / Well, that's a hip-hop hug!" There's certainly a teacher at work here, mobilizing a relatively sanitized understanding of hip-hop that avoids some of the troublesome content choices that can make mainstream rap a minefield for young children. The boombox, the microphone, and the vinyl record are some of the key motifs as Afful's animation-influenced illustrations take readers across the urban landscape, displaying young people across genders and skin tones finding their place within the hip-hop scene. Altogether, it exemplifies much of the same rhyme schemes and patterns found in most records, serving as a fun read-aloud and a safe introduction to hip-hop as a pathway to healthy child development. Good for the children of a rising hip-hop generation. (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 15, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 In rap, a cypher is a circle of participants taking turns building off of one another's lyrics. In this gentle tale, a young girl is gently encouraged to join a cypher for the first time. An adult narrator talks directly to her, explaining what rap can do (""You can turn a simple phrase / into imagery that soars / and emotions that roar!"") and how to do it (""See, rap is a style that is infinitely free. / All you need is a beat / and your soul's poetry""). Exuberant illustrations in bold colors fill the pages, matching the energy of the characters (who are all people of color) and the vibrancy of the text. As the child finally, tentatively steps into the spotlight, a celebratory acknowledgment sails far beyond the cypher: ""Come and let it all out. / Your pride and your fear / and your love . . . / and your clout!"" This lovely book is all about being brave, stepping up, and being heard.

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Starred review from November 1, 2021

K-Gr 3-Dill invites readers to enter the cypher, "that great circle of rap, spanning every street corner, every inch of the map," and find their voices and let them flow as the rap beat brings their truths to the world. A man of angular, stylized limbs, of bronze skin and long white locs, beckons all into a creative space of like-minded youth expressing their thoughts and feelings through rap music. Some of the young people might be tentative at first, but with the encouragement of the group and the infectious beat, their inner sentiments begin to flow. With a cadence and beat in the text itself, and accompanied by energetic illustrations, this will make an affirming addition to a poetry or music unit embracing the power of rap and the collective creative process that takes place in the space of the cypher or other collaborative space. VERDICT A great choice for introducing rap music and the poetry found within it, encouraging readers to find within themselves "a voice that represents me!"-John Scott, Baltimore County P.S.

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