Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney is like no other book I've ever read. The multi-generational, historical fiction novel begins during an unfair sharecropping agreement between the main character's family and a plantation owner in Mississippi. Then it shifts to surviving under Jim Crow Laws to eventually marching for civil rights. It's a dramatic series of monologues that follows Loretta Little (from 1927-1930), Roly (from 1942-1950), and finally, Aggie B. (from 1962-1968). Each chapter has a where and when to set the stage for the reader as they step into the heart and mind of the characters. The first-person narration told in verse, song, and illustrations transport the reader to the emotion of each character.
What stood out was how the author, Pinkney, incorporated real-life historical figures into her storytelling. Readers can learn more about Fannie Lou Hamer, President Lyndon B. Johnson, James Forman, Emmett Till, Charles McLaurin, and of course, Martin Luther King, Jr. Pinkney also includes more information about sharecroppers in the southern U.S. with additional photos from that time.
As a parent, teacher and librarian, I would share this book with 3rd graders and above. It's certainly age-appropriate for readers to learn about the southern Black experience in the U.S. Each character is strong, distinct and unforgettable. The illustrations help readers understand the essence of the story without giving away too much.
Here are several video interviews the Pinkneys did to share with readers:
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment