Picture Book 6

A.    Author: Nikki Grimes

B.     Title: Talkin’ About Bessie

C.     Illustrator: E.B Lewis

D.    Readability: 4-6

E.     Genre: Picture

F.      Subgenre: Biography/Fiction

G.    Theme: Transportation and aspirations

H.    Primary and secondary characters: Elizabeth Colemen

I.       Award(s) date of publication:  Coretta Scott King Author Honor -2003 and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Winner 2003

J.       Publishing company: Scholastic  

K.    ISBN number:0-439-57342-4

L.     Brief summary: Talkin’ About Bessie, is a story based on the aviator, Elizabeth Colemen. The book starts with the funeral of Bessie, and how everyone chose to remember her. It starts with her father who left the family, followed by her mother, sister, brother and other influenced people who Bessie chose to touch their lives. Bessie lived a hard first part of her life, she worked as a counter with her family as they picked cotton. Bessie saved penny upon penny to attend college, she could not return after her first semester because she had ran out of money. Bessie then chose to find a job, washing clothes, followed by doing nails at a barber shop. One day while working Bessie chose to up and quit her job, boarding a boat to France and perusing a career and aspiration of being the first African American to every fly.  Bessie soon returned with her “wings” and started being an inspiration speaker around the world. The book ends with the tragic tale as to how Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman died.

M.   Description of how you would use the book with students: The story of Talkin’ About Bessie, is a great story of hope and persistence. I could do an activity that is based on students hopes and dreams. We can discuss the obstacles that Bessie had to overcome in order to be the women she became. Then we can talk about possible obstacles that they would have to overcome in order to be the person they want to become. This book can also be tied into black history month or take the time period of 1920’s and discuss what it was like to be African American during the time of Jim Crow Laws and extreme racism.