A fresh perspective of young men of color depicting thirteen views of everyday life: young boys dressed in their Sunday best, running to catch a bus, and growing up to be teachers, and much more. Each of Tony Medina's tanka is matched with a different artist including recent Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Award recipients.

Thirteen ways: an introduction --Anacostia angel / illustrated by Floyd Cooper -- Little Mister May / illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera -- Images of kin / illustrated by Skip Hill -- The charmer / Tiffany McKnight -- One-way ticket / Robert Liu-Trujillo -- Lazy hazy daze / illustrated by Keith Mallett -- My soul to keep / illustrated by Shawn K. Alexander -- Do not enter / illustrated by Kesha Bruce -- Street corner prophet / illustrated by Brianna McCarthy -- Athlete's broke bus blues / illustrated by R. Gregory Christie -- Brothers gonna work it out / illustrated by Ekua Holmes -- Cat at the curb / illustrated by Javaka Steptoe -- Givin' back to the community / illustrated by Chandra Cox.