Welcome to the Cypher

Book excerpt: Words burn bright in this joyful celebration of rap, creativity, and self-expression. “Welcome to the cypher! Now huddle up nice and snug. You feel that circle around you? Well, that’s a hip hop hug!” Starting with beatboxes and fingersnaps, an exuberant narrator introduces kids in his community to the powerful possibilities of rap, from turning “a simple phrase/into imagery that soars” to proclaiming, “this is a voice that represents me!” As Khodi Dill’s rhymes heat up, the diverse crew of kids—illustrated in Awuradwoa Afful’s bold, energetic style—gain self-confidence and a sense of freedom in this wonderful picture book debut that is perfect for reading aloud.