29. Pink and Say

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco (Philomel Books) 1994

Genre

Historical Picturebook

Honors

Iowa Children's Choice Award, 1998 nominiee
Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1994, winner
Jefferson Cup Award, 1995, winner 
American Booksellers Book of the Year (ABBY) Award, 1995, nominee
Student Book Award, 1996, winner 
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina), 1997, nominee

Review

A young Union soldier -- Sheldon (Say) is rescued by an African American soldier named Pinkus (Pink) who has been separated from his unit.  Pink takes Say to his mother's home where they wait for his leg to heal.  As Say heals we learn that he deserted his unit, afraid for his life.  During his time with Pink, Say realizes that he must return.  Before either of them can seek their units, though, Pink's home is invading by marauding Confederate soldiers.  Moe Moe Bay -- Pink's mother -- hides Pink and Say in the cellar and confronts the marauders only to be killed.  On the journey to reunite with their units, Pink and Say are captured and taken to a Confederate camp.

Opinion

The story is made more powerful when we learn of its oral tradition in Polacco's family at the book's end.  The narrative is simple and the book feels produced to honor the man who saved the author's great great grandfather.  Without Pinkus, Polacco wouldn't be here to tell Sheldon's tale.  And the most powerful way that she tells that tale is in the vibrant, nearly expressionist (yet still realistic) artwork.  There she is able to express both the gloom of war and the glory of friendships (however short lived).

Ideas

The book would be useful in a school unit on the Civil War.  We get a bit of information about the Andersonville camp, but mostly the book shows the human toll of the war.  It reveals that even those soldiers fighting for the liberation of slaves were terrified and would desert.  The book would also be an appropriate selection for Black History month as it tells the story of a hero who would otherwise be unknown.