Picture+Books-+A+Taste+of+Colored+Water

A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner
 From [|Barnes & Noble]: "This complex tale is set in a small town in the rural South in 1960, the beginning of the active civil rights struggles. Two cousins named Jelly and Lulu are anxious to go into town and see the colored water their friend Abby has told them about. She said she saw a water fountain in town with a sign above it that read “Colored.” Lulu and Jelly get their chance when Uncle Jack needs to go into town for a tractor part. When they get there, they witness a disturbance surrounding a civil rights march. Plenty of shouting and meanness is going on so Uncle Jack insists they stay in the truck, but they have other ideas. When they find the water fountain with the odd sign, they attempt to take a drink, but an angry policeman with a dog yells at them to get away from the fountain for coloreds. The whole scene is confusing and frightening to them, plus Uncle Jack is mad at them for leaving the truck. The issues are not resolved in the story, so teachers and parents who read this story to youngsters must be knowledgeable and prepared to explain this challenging time in American history. If you did not live through it, it is a difficult task. The drawings help place the reader within the milieu of the South that is both peaceful and frightening. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger, Ph.D."

Proving the simpler is powerful, this picture book explains prejudice in easier to understand terms. Through the story of Lulu and Jelly, children (and adults alike!) learn about the civil rights movement.

Home