When Grandmama Sings

Mitchell and Ransome, the team behind Coretta Scott King Honor winner Uncle Jeds Barbershop, reunite for another story set in the early 20th century, in which intimate family relationships are set against a backdrop of racial segregation. Eight-year-old narrator Belle lives with her parents and Grandmama in the fictional town of Pecan Flats, Miss. Grandmamas singing voice has earned her local fame, and when a man offers to book her and a band on a small singing tour of the South, she agrees, bringing Belle along for the ride. Written in the past tense, Belles narration has an elegiac quality, but while the band encounters plenty of discrimination on the road, triumphs outweigh setbacks (and Grand-mama doesnt come to any serious harm). Ransomes lovely, naturalistic watercolors draw out a wealth of emotions from the characters, particularly Grandmama, whose expressions range from weariness to passion while shes singing, and determination, such as when she slams money on the counter of a restaurant that wont serve them. Its a stirring reminder that its never too late to chase ones dreams, no matter the obstacles. Ages 5 9. (Jan.) Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 2-4--Set in the segregated South of the 1950s, Mitchell's poignant story features eight-year-old Belle and her loving, stalwart African-American family. When Grandmama, who can't read but whose singing voice captures the hearts of all who hear her, joins a jazz band for a tour of the South, Belle pleads to go along. Thrilled to expand her world beyond Pecan Flats, MS, she experiences firsthand the difficulties her people face: hotels marked "White Only," diners that refuse them service, police who search their cars and luggage for no reason. Through it all, Grandmama sings to growing crowds, believing in the power of music to bring people together. When, at the story's end, a recording contract beckons her "up north," Grandmama tells Belle to believe in herself and "sing her own song." Ransome's full-page images, rich in color and feeling, portray the landscapes of the South and the individual emotions of the characters with equal aplomb. Placed in the past, the message is still relevant for children today.--Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.