The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Mitchell, Margaree King

When Grandmama Sings

40 pp. | HarperCollins/Amistad | January, 2012 | Trade ISBN 978-0-688-17563-4 $16.99

(2) K-3 Illustrated by James Ransome. Narrator Belle recounts accompanying her grandmother on a singing tour through the segregated South. Eight-year-old Belle nervously points out the "whites only" signs wherever they go, but Grandmama is undeterred. The narration is calm and matter-of-fact, like Grandmama, who remains focused on what's right; in contrast, Ransome's paintings show the shame, sadness, and anger the characters feel. An excellent book for discussion.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012