White Socks Only

March 4, 1996
Subtle and stirring, this tale-within-a-tale begins with an affectionate exchange between an African American girl and her grandmother, then telescopes to encompass an electrifying moment fraught with personal and political significance. Grandma tells of sneaking off to town one sizzling summer day when she was a child, "planning on doing no good." Approaching a water fountain, the thirsty girl mistakes its "Whites Only" sign to mean that she should take off her shoes so that only her white socks will touch the step stool. A "big white man" grabs her and removes his belt to whip her-prompting African American bystanders to remove their shoes, too, and defiantly drink from the fountain. At home, the narrator's mother proclaims she can now go to town by herself, " 'cause you're old enough to do some good"; in town, "the `Whites Only' sign was gone from that water fountain forever." Though Coleman (The Footwarmer and the Black Crow) complicates the story with some unnecessary subplots, the impact is strong. Geter's (Dawn and the Round-to-it) full- and double-page paintings can be hazy, but they conduct the story's considerable emotional charge. Ages 5-9.

June 1, 1996
Gr 2-4-In this story, a grandmother relates an incident from her childhood to her granddaughter. On a scorching hot Mississippi day, a little girl walks into town by herself to learn whether it really is possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Mission accomplished, she is on her way home when she stops for a drink of water. Interpreting the "whites only" sign on the water fountain to refer to socks, the African American child takes off her patent-leather shoes and has just begun to drink when an angry white man grabs her and pushes her to the ground. He threatens to "whup" her, but the black townspeople come to the girl's aid by taking off their shoes and drinking from the same fountain. The angry bigot then receives punishment at the hands of a local conjure man. Atmospheric paintings, smudged and moody, will draw readers into this gripping tale. However, the story has some unsettling elements. The protagonist is old enough to go into town alone, yet she is oblivious to the meaning of the "whites only" sign. Her certainty that the sign refers to white socks is also curious; knowing that is what it means implies some prior knowledge, but she clearly does not have the facts straight.-Anna DeWind, Milwaukee Public Library

February 15, 1996
Ages 5^-8. This begins with a grandmother telling a tale of her childhood in the segregated South: "You know, when I was a little girl, like yourself, I sneaked into town once. Yep, all by myself." All dressed up and hiding eggs in her pockets, the little girl walks down the road past the feared and revered Chicken Man, who supposedly has powers, including the ability to turn his enemies into chickens. In town, the girl breaks an egg on the sidewalk to see if it will really fry. Seeing a drinking fountain with a sign that says "Whites Only" and a step stool for children, she takes off her black shoes and steps up in her clean white socks. After a white man throws her to the ground, other black people step up to the fountain and drink. Then the Chicken Man joins them, he drinks from the fountain, points at the white man (a chicken later turns up at the fountain), and tells the child to go home. Impressionistic oil paintings sensitively illustrate the place, the time, the heat, and the child's emotions. Although the last part of the story is somewhat confusing, the book works as an effective portrayal of a child's innocence and her awakening to racism. ((Reviewed Feb. 15, 1996))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1996, American Library Association.)