Joan Hickson (2)

I don't remember the first time I read this, but I had the chance to relive that first reading experience recently when I observed a class having it read aloud. What an experience! This book truly had a whole class in its grip from page one on. This was a heartbreaking story and I don't know that any student left the room unaffected, but I know I was moved. Great storytelling and an ending that made the story all the more powerful. It was like bitter medicine; hard to swallow on the way show more down, but leaving you much better for having done so afterward. show less

Patricia Polacco- making me cry yet again.

A good introduction to a complex and terrible subject. Picture books can be a good way to begin a difficult topic.

Heartbreaking and beautiful- this civil war story will stay with you.

Pink, short for Pinkus, and Say, nickname for Sheldon, are two teenage boys from Ohio fighting for the Union army during the Civil War. This is the story passed down through generations of how they met and the events that followed. Pink has skin the "color of polished mahogany" and refers to the war as "his fight." Say simply longs to return to his family farm. In expressive and dramatic illustration, the story unfolds two lives parallel in every way except one: slavery. Polacco's artistry show more in written word makes the characters come alive with dialogue and fills in details not present in the illustrations. Polacco's visual artistry fills in where emotion and truth can't be put into words. Setting the scene, context, and message of the story within the first two full page spreads, Polacco juxtaposes Pink's final moments before heading off to war with Say's family farewell as he leaves--the comparison is notable. First time readers will want to go back to these initial pages while the returning reader might take a tender lingering pause before once again experiencing the story of Pink and Say. This is must read in historical fiction for anyone looking for authentic voice, rich text, and vibrant illustration. show less

Pink and Say is a story passed down through the generations born of the man who was called Say. Sheldon Russell Curtis was a young boy from Ohio who was fighting for the North during the Civil War. He was wounded while deserting, but saved by Pinkus Aylee, a slave. Pinkus, or Pink, as he was called, brought Say home to his mama, Moo Moo Bay, who nursed them both back to health. Pink wanted to go back and fight for his freedom. Say was afraid. Pink could read, and Say could not, but pink show more promised to teach him. It was never to be. Marauders came and killed Moo Moo Bay, captured the boys, and hung Pink. Say’s story is the only way we can remember Pinkus Aylee.
Pink believed in freedom, and was proud to shake Say’s hand, the hand that had once shaken the hand of Mr. Lincoln. Pink had the courage and belief for that to be enough to spur him back into the fight. He was a hero, and Say passed his story down through the generations, so that now we can read it.
Why is it important now, when African Americans have freedom, and that war is long over? Because racism still alive in this country today. This story may be from the past, but the message is extremely contemporary. People still judge others on the basis of the color of their skin, not the courage in their hearts nor the intelligence in their minds. We see racism everyday, in school, in work, on the streets, and sometimes even in our own homes and within our own families. Yet the value of a person can never be measured in such simplistic terms.
Pink and Say reminds us that we are all humans with the same frailties of physicality, but that we all have gifts to share with one another. We all must see through the outer shell to the true people inside. This is a timeless lesson, and one that all people need to be reminded of from time to time. This story brought true tears to my eyes, and I mourned Pink. Not simply because he never got to share his gifts of reading and courage with Say, but because our world lost him, all he was and could have been. However, this country was built on his spirit, and the spirit of many others like him, with many different shades of skin. Courage does not have a skin color.
If I were to teach a history lesson on the Civil War, I would include this book in my high school lesson. There were so many political issues at stake during the Civil War, but at its root was that all people were valuable, not to own, but to be appreciated as people. Freedom should have always been an inherent right, but it was not. Pinkus Aylee felt that more keenly than any of us ever will, and his story is one of courage and strength. I am grateful to have read his story, and hope that many others will. At the end of the book, I did say his name aloud, and I will remember him. Six stars out of five. show less