Module 5, Book 1: Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

by Nikki Grimes

Grimes, N. (2002). Talkin' about Bessie: The story of aviator Elizabeth Coleman. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Inspired. Determined. Accomplished.

Summary:

Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman is a fictionalized retelling of Bessie Coleman's very real story.  Told in a unique way, Grimes touchingly introduces the reader to the story, accomplishments, and sheer determination of Bessie through the eyes of others.  The book is a compilation of memories of people who loved her, admired her, and saw first hand how her will to achieve and defy the naysayers inspired this fascinating woman to lead the way for young women from all walks of life.

Impressions:

This version of Bessie's story is beautifully crafted.  Though it's unclear how much of the story is fictionalized, it leaves a tender impression of the young woman who made history and became a hero for all.  Young readers will enjoy this book as a read aloud.  Older readers will appreciate Grimes's fluid, easy to read style that portrays Bessie as accessible as an old friend.  

Reviews:

From School Library Journal:

Gr 3-8-This fresh contribution to the spate of relatively recent titles about Coleman has a decidedly unique tone. Talkin' is a well-conceived, well-executed, handsomely illustrated, fictionalized account of the life of the first black female licensed pilot in the world (CIP places the book in the 600s). An introductory note puts the aviatrix in historical context, but neglects to explain some references (e.g., Jim Crow laws). The text consists of 21 poetic vignettes of Coleman delivered by "speakers" at a funeral parlor, all of whom have come to mourn the pilot who died at age 34 in a plane accident. Their reminiscences on stark white pages are illustrated with miniature portraits bordered in sepia, each one facing a full-page watercolor capturing a moment in the woman's life. Skillfully drawn and occasionally photographic in their realism, the pictures perfectly match each speaker's recollections. A concluding note states rather definitively in regard to her death: "The cause of the crash remains a mystery" despite some evidence to the contrary. No sources are listed. While fictional, this is a fine piece to use to set a tone or inspire more research into Coleman's life. It could also serve as an exceptional writing model for students. The concept, much like Marilyn Nelson's Carver: A Life in Poems (Front Street, 2001), is noteworthy.

Citation: Fargnoli, H., Jones, T.E., Toth, Chanizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2002).  School Library Journal, 48(10), 183. 

From Horn Book:

Grimes skillfully employs first-person testimonial verse to give young readers a fully realized portrait of African-Americanaviator Bessie Coleman. At Coleman's death, Grimes invites twenty individuals to a fictionalized wake and, in valedictory monologues, has each remember Bessie and the forces that shaped her life. Bessie's father tells about leaving the family when his daughter was "jus' a chile." Her mother recalls how she wanted Bessie to "first learn the wisdom of the Lawd, / and then, the wisdom of the world"; an older brother comments on her drive, how she "kept her focus fixed...to find a lifelong work of substance"; her flight instructor remembers how bravely Bessie flew a Nieuport 82 the day after witnessing one crash to the ground in flames; and a young fan reveres her idol: "I haven't made up my mind about being a pilot, / but Bessie made me believe I could be anything." E. B. Lewis personalizes the tributes (and a concluding testimonial fromBessie) with small photo-like, sepia-toned portraits of the speakers. Impressionistic watercolors on facing pages evoke each incident and often soften the harshness in Coleman's life. Taken as a whole, these illustrations portray a young woman yearning for and taking pride in that "lifelong work of substance." Although the assemblage of mourners is slightly contrived (would a field hand Coleman once worked alongside and a woman who once hired her to do laundry really be present at her wake?), their parts in Bessie's story are integral to her early life. Grimes separates fact from fiction through introductory comments on the historical period and the setting, concluding observations about Coleman, and source notes. Like Bessie, this tribute to her life soars.

Citation: Carter, B. (2003). Talkin' about Bessie. Horn Book Magazine, 79(1), 96-97. 

Library Activity:

Because Bessie Coleman live much of her life in Waxahachie, Texas, where my library is located, this would be a wonderful book to read aloud to spur discussion about local history.   Local history is an important part of a library's collection.  Introducing students to a book like Grimes's, will inspire patrons to research their town's history and entice them to seek out other offerings in the library's collection about local heroes and famous people who began in their hometown.