Our Reviews

fred

catfish

Catfish and Jabo: Priceless Pearls
By Fred James Jackson
Illustrated by Gary P. Bell
Lions Roar Publishing Sacramento, CA 95824

Catfish and Jabo Priceless Pearls shares pearls of wisdom and powerful legacies with children from all walks of life.  The book teaches proactive multiculturalism by having youth take on the roles of celebrated Harlem Renaissance greats.  It encourages them to actively take on the passion and the purpose of becoming great in their own lives while exploring history!
Dr. Melissa Brown Executive Director
Sacramento, CA

No doubt there is a great deal of love and care (and cost) in putting something like this together; it's breathtakingly beautiful. I have it sitting in the family room and proudly so.
My granddaughter picked it up and leafed through the pages the other
day...
Ken Davis, Playwright

A poetic history book of hope, speckled with phenomenal classic pictures of those who forged ahead of us, or beside us, living this poetry during a life of despair, with heads held up by love, faith and hope.
Karen M. Alexander, Executive
Saralee Corporation

Fred Jackson has truly found his niche. Priceless Pearls is a true representative of the Harlem Renaissance Era.  His poems are certainly moving and captures the ears of the listeners.  During this Black History Month, I have had the opportunity to share his poems on a daily basis with the students and staff.  One of our all time favorites is "Let the Flowers Grow".  The students and staff have verbally expressed their appreciation of such fine poetry and the history facts about the Harlem era.
Sheila L. Henry, Principal
Glade View Elementary School
Belle Glade, Florida

This book showed personalities of characters of our race. It made me reflective of the segregated days I grew up in. The reflective poems exemplified the moods, inner mentality that kept Negros moving on in life. It shows us looking up to expectations instead of regrets. It shows positive focus for the future, not accepting the negative climate of a racist life we dwelt in during segregation. It showed Negros who lived with this hope. Well done.
Dr. Woodrow T. Belt, Education Consultant