Tar Beach Themes

The Lightfoots are, in many ways, the classic American family. Two kids: one boy, one girl. Mommy makes fried chicken. Daddy works in construction. In many ways, Cassie has a wonderful childhood. Y...

Tar Beach is in many ways a special celebration of Black people and culture. With the beautiful artwork and the dynamic Lightfoot family, the story is a loving portrait of Black life in America. At...

In Tar Beach, time doesn't move forward in the usual way. Instead, time is wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey, Doctor Who-style.See, at the beginning of the story, it seems like Cassie is looking back, tell...

Cassie's world is warm and happy, but it's not exactly perfect. Cassie's old enough to know that something's not quite right between Mommy and Daddy. And the fact that she knows so much about her d...

Tar Beach runs on a sort of dream logic. The line between reality and fantasy feels as Cassie blends the story of her life with her imagination. But Cassie's imagination isn't totally footloose and...

To hear her tell the tale, Cassie Lightfoot is the richest gal in New York City. She has everything that money can buy: fancy buildings, a diamond necklace, and a lifetime supply of ice cream.Wait...

Cassie has a huge amount of admiration for the world around her. She admires her father for his hard work. She looks for beauty in everything she sees. She sees joy and possibilities wherever she l...

Close your eyes and imagine that you live in New York City. In the summer. In a tiny apartment. In the 1930s. That's pre-air conditioning, people. Okay, now imagine walking up to the rooftop. You'r...