Picture Book #3

Author: Patricia Polacco

Title:  Pink and Say

Illustrator:  Patricia Polacco

Readability score:  Grade 3 to Grade 5

Genre: Fiction

Subgenre: Historical fiction

Theme: Friendship knows no bounds.

Primary and secondary characters:  Pinkus Aylee, Sheldon Curtis, Moe Moe Bay

Awards:  N/A

Date of Publication: 1994

Publishing Company: Philomel Books

ISBN number:  0-399-22671-0

Pink and Say takes place in Georgia during the Civil War.  Say, a young Union soldier, is seriously injured when Pink, a black Union soldier, finds him and takes him to his home.  Moe Moe Bay, Pink's mother, nurses Say back to health.  As he is healing, Say comes to love Pink and his mother.  Pink teaches Say how to read.  Say does not want to go back to war, but Pink does.  Just as they are ready and well enough to search for their company, marauders come and kill Moe Moe Bay.  Pink and Say are captured by Confederate soldiers.  Pink is taken away to be executed.  Say is later released and goes on to tell Pink's story to his children and grandchildren so that they would continue to tell the story.

Pink and Say is a book that could be used with several different lessons.    The most obvious way this book could be used is during a unit on the Civil War.  This book is quite graphic, but it does portray the realities of life as a young soldier during that time period.  I would do a theme poster with the students because this book has several clear themes.  I would create a poster with the theme listed on one side and an example with evidence of the theme.  The students would find a theme and give the evidence.  I would write both down on a post-it note and place it on the poster.  Several themes the students might choose are:  Fighting for what you believe in, friendship knows no bounds, and honoring those you care about.  Another might be to love and accept everyone.  Not only would this lesson help students learn valuable lessons about life, they would also be exposed to the harsh realities of war.