Book Review of "Tar Beach" by Faith Ringgold

     Faith Ringgold teaches the importance of imagination in many ways with the story book Tar Beach. This story is about the summer nights when a young girl’s, Cassie, family would picnic, party, and sleep on ''Tar Beach'', the roof top of their apartment. Cassie is an eight year old girl who imagines herself flying over her neighborhood, Harlem. The young girl describes in great detail what she sees, how it feels to fly, and what she wants. ''I will always remember when the stars fell down around me and lifted me up above the George Washington Bridge'' Cassie begins. While flying, she makes her dreams come true. Everything she flies over she claims to be her own, including the union building, so her father can be allowed to join the union. This book shows that imagination is very important by showing that while flying Cassie is set free. It shows children that they can be anything they want to be. As Cassie learns, anyone can fly. "All you need is somewhere to go you can't get to any other way. The next thing you know, you're flying above the stars."