PBT Redux Series #8 - Ruth and the Green Book

To continue my series in which I post again some of the best PBT books published in this century, I chose a story from American history that I believe the whole world should know. This picture book will offer another opportunity to explore how spiritual values can be tied to important historical phenomena. This book also reminds Americans how things used to be here. I believe remembering our history (especially our mistakes) is especially important politically and spiritually.

My impetus for posting this particular book today is an announcement I heard on Central Alabama's public radio WBHM. A play has opened in Birmingham that explores the relationship between black people and Jewish people during segregation. Highlighted in this drama is The Green Book, the title of the play and a publication for African Americans who were traveling through the segregated south. The WBHM article explains that The Green Book was inspired by a similar book published for Jews. Here's the story I heard and details about the play if you'd like to learn more. Below is my previous PBT post describing a fabulous picture book which tells the importance of The Green Book through the eyes of a young girl. 

Picture Book: Ruth and the Green Book

Author: Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen Strauss

Illustrator: Floyd Cooper

Summary: Ruth is excited because she and her parents are driving from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandmother. It’s the 1950s so before the trip, Ruth’s mother spends days cooking meals knowing there will be few restaurants willing to serve Negros. After being rejected from various gas stations, hotels, and restaurants, Ruth’s family spends the night it their car. Eventually they learn to look for Esso stations where they will be welcomed. At one Esso, they purchase The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide to places that would welcome black travelers. Ruth learns to use the book and is so happy to experience the hospitality of fellow African Americans.

Hanna’s Comments: I am a passionate advocate of the spiritual practice of hospitality so I especially loved the part of this story where Ruth’s family is welcomed into a “tourist home.” These were homes listed in The Green Book where travelers were warmly welcomed, in this case for no charge and a fun night’s sleep. In the back of the book, find The History of The Negro Motorist Green Book. 2014 was the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Bill which outlawed Jim Crow Laws and therefore also the anniversary of the last edition of The Green Book. Thank goodness, this book is now a relic of the last century and no longer necessary for black individuals to comfortably travel for long distances. It is my prayer that families in our country will never have to travel in fear, surrounded by hatred.

Original Publisher & Date: Scholastic, 2010

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 6 and up, 1^st and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: Treat the stranger as the native among you (Leviticus 19:34); the Good Samaritan parable (Luke 10:30-37); seek to show hospitality (Romans 12:13); do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2); show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)

Idea(s) for Application: Use this picture book in a lesson or sermon on how scripture, like The Green Book, can be a comfort, a safety net, and a guide. Also, consider that the author of The Green Book might have been inspired by God’s desires for humans to be safe and hospitable in all situations.

Worship & Picture Books That Would Please MLK

It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the states. To honor this man and the strides we have made in Birmingham, my church, First United Methodist, and Saint John’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, worshiped together yesterday. The music and message were so inspiring. I was especially moved when MLK’s I Have a Dream speech was recited by various congregants from both churches.

We have come a long way in downtown Birmingham and in my church where African American children and adults are beloved members and involved in planning and worship. Dr. King once said, “it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” If only he could have been present to witness the love and joy in our sanctuary yesterday and in the reception afterwards where we enjoyed one another.

Today’s books are offered in memory of Dr. King who I believe would have enjoyed reading them to his children.

The first book is a celebration of the ingenuity, determination and faith of pilot James Banning & mechanic Thomas Allen, the first African Americans to fly across the US. Despite the hardships of the Great Depression and the limits of segregation, these 2 men repaired a rundown plane. Friends, family, and people they met along the journey from Los Angeles to Harlem signed their names on the wings in exchange for food, supplies, and fuel. This story is a testament to what community, bravery, and perseverance can achieve.

The illustrations here are dazzling! You feel like you are riding beside them and you see some highlights of American geographical beauty. Children will especially love to hear that when it got really hot, the men rode in just their underwear! Be careful not to assume only African American children would enjoy this story, and please don’t set it aside because it is not February, Black History Month. You’ll find a Note from the Author who is amazed that he didn’t know more of this story since he is a student and teacher of history. He explains that the book is fiction but based on historical record.

The theological connections here are obvious. Both men say “Hallelujah!” when touching down safely and when lifting off the dirt of particularly racist locales. This flight could easily be connected to Biblical stories such as the journeys of the Israelites in the Wilderness, Jesus & his disciples, or Paul and other missionaries.

Picture Book: The Hallelujah Flight

Author: Phil Bildner

Illustrator: John Holyfield

Original Publisher & Date: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2010

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up

Formats other than Book: Tablet

The other book I offer today has significantly more text, reads at a much higher level, and would be perfect for a private school or homeschool that is studying Christian perseverance or American heroes.

I confess I had not heard of Howard Thurman until I was in my 40s despite the influence he had on so many Christian theologians and ministers, including Dr. King who he mentored. 

Here we read Howard Thurmon’s life as having a continual thirst for knowledge, intellectual achievement, and opportunity. Despite living in segregated Daytona, Florida where there was one school for African Americans and it went only through 7^th grade, Howard did become highly educated. His intelligence and passion for learning encouraged those who met him to facilitate his education. He became an influential theologian, minister, advocate for civil rights, and Dean of the Chapel at both Howard University and Boston College.

The most pivotal moment in this story occurs when Howard’s dreams are almost derailed by an unexpected expense at a railroad station while he was traveling out of town to attend a private high school. An African American bystander in overalls gives Howard the coins he needs to continue his journey.

Like the PBT book above, this book is a testament to the value of a spiritual journey and the support of community. In the story you’ll find phrases from Howard’s mother and grandmother that offer much in the way of theological discussion. They are:

God will take care.

Make a way, dear Lord, make a way.

God had made a way.

Picture Book: Howard Thurman’s Great Hope

Author: Kai Jackson Issa

Illustrator: Arthur L. Dawson

Original Publisher & Date: Lee and Low Books, 2008

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 7 and up, 2 and up

Formats other than Book: None at present

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 336

Picture Book: We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song

Author: Debbie Levy

Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley-Newton 

Summary:  Inspiring the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s is just one component of this song’s rich history. The lyrics serve as part of the illustrations to the story of the song. The book begins by explaining how American slaves sang to soothe their suffering and to declare that they were human beings. It goes on to explain that once slavery ended black people in America were not really free. Believing their circumstances could get better, they still sang and they began protesting. A church song, I Will Overcome, was adapted and heard by Martin Luther King, Jr. who took the song as he worked for civil rights. Many important events of the Civil Rights Movement are mentioned here, including the sit-ins and the march in Washington D.C. I had not known of the Freedom Singers, who traveled all over America singing in places such as high schools, concert halls, and even jails. The book goes on to explain how the song traveled to South Africa to fuel the movement against apartheid. It traveled to other places in the world, wherever people longed for a better life and wanted to sing their determination. The book culminates in 2008 when this song was very present as Barak Obama was elected president of the United States.  

Update! There is new book about this song illustrated by Bryan Collis. It has many historical references to the Civil Rights Movement of the mid 1900s and contemporary political protests.

Hanna’s Comments: This weekend marks the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights March from Selma, AL to Montgomery, AL, just down the highway from my home. Surely this song was sung many times as they walked. I salute them today with this small offering of a book that celebrates their work. Even as a middle class white woman, I know I have been richly blessed by the courage, efforts, and sacrifices of those marchers. I especially thank them for the spiritual context that many of them gave to their struggle. In the back of this book, there is an informative timeline, noting important milestones in the life of this song. Also, you’ll find a list of sources, suggestions for further reading, and links to recordings of the song.

Original Publisher & Date of Publication: Jump at the Sun, 2013

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 6 and up, 1^st and up

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present for this book, but you’ll find many videos of this song being sung on-line.

PBT Category: Song Book, Post 2K  

PBT Topics this Book connects with: abilities, abuse/abuse of power, action, America, art, aspiration/dreams, bravery/courage, brokenness, bullying/martyrs/persecution/oppression, challenges, change, choir/music/singing/songs, civil rights, commitment, confidence, cruelty, difficulties, disabilities/handicaps/limitations, discord, disputes/fighting/opposition, encouragement, equality/inequality, exclusion/inclusion, faith/faithfulness, freedom, heroes, hope, injustice, integration, intolerance, justice, leadership/servant leadership, non-violence/peaceful resistance, passion, patience, perseverance, power, prayer, race relations/racism, rebellion, segregation, sin, slavery/slaves, social justice, steadfastness, strength/strength in God, unity 

Scripture Connections: Seek the Lord and the Lord’s strength… (1 Chronicles 16:11); ask what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8); suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character… (Romans 5:3-5); blessed is the one who remains steadfast under trial (James 1:12);  

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to children who are learning about modern religious heroes or how music, as a tool in worship or elsewhere, can inspire work for social justice and political change. 

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 317

Picture Book: The Sneetches and Other Stories

Author & Illustrator: Dr. Seuss

Summary: The Star-Belly Sneetches brag about their stars and look down upon the Plain–Belly Sneetches, excluding them from games, parties, and feasts. Then Sylvester McMonkey McBean shows up with a contraption to put stars on the bellies of the Plain-Belly Sneetches for a low price of course. All pay the price and enter the machine. The Star-Bellied Sneetches react with concern that they may not know who has the natural star-bellies. Just in time McBean convinces them that “Belly stars are no longer in style,” and offers, for a price of course, to remove their stars. This pattern repeats until none of the Sneetches are quite sure how they started and all their money is spent. McBean departs with a laugh, “They never will learn.” However, the Sneetches do learn. They decide that “Sneetches are Sneetches. And no kind of Sneetch is the best.”

Hanna’s Comments: I didn’t dare try to summarize a Seuss book with clever rhyme although I was tempted. Many folks the world over would agree that Seuss was a genius of whimsical verse and manufactured words. Today is the birthday of the late Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Geisel, one of my heroes, so I’ll be offering his books all week. This story has much to offer children and adults in faith communities because it humorously offers some of our most frustrating human qualities: our tendency toward acquiring status, creating cliques, and jealousy. McBean, like so many humans, is ready to take advantage of our faults. He gets rich off the Sneetches, but the Sneetches do learn in the end. If only it was that easy for us humans.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Random House, 1961

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up

# of Pages: 25

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: Tablet, There is a video of this story on Youtube.com and in the video collection Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories (also includes The Zax and Too Many Daves). Random House has created a website full of Dr. Seuss activities and information. Here’s the link: www.seussville.com.

PBT Category: Classic

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: aspirations/dreams, beauty, belonging, change, competition, conformity, consumerism/consumption/riches, coveting/envy/jealousy, differences, exclusion/inclusion, humanity, identity/names, judgment/judges/judging, prejudice, pride, race relations/racism, religious differences, segregation, social justice, suspicion

Scripture Connections: You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor’s (Exodus 20:17); judge not, and you will not be judged (Luke 6:37); do not judge by appearances (John 7:24); so where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder (James 3:16)

Idea(s) for Application: Use this picture book or its video format in a program for adults or children that tackles issues such as status, exclusivity, division, or marginalization in response to our Holy Scriptures which direct us to refrain from judging others. Also, for adult or youth programming, consider checking out The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss by James W. Kemp.

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 276

Picture Book: Goin’ Someplace Special

Author: Patricia McKissack

Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

Summary: In a southern American town in the 1950’s, Tricia Ann is being allowed to go to “Someplace Special” alone for the first time. She called it this because it was her favorite place in the world. “Be particular and remember everything I told you,” her grandmother says. Then she adds, “And no matter what, hold yo’ head up and act like you b’long to somebody.” On the bus she sits in the back in the “colored section.” She goes to Peace Fountain and dances around. She tumbles onto a nearby bench, but then she notices it is marked, “For Whites Only.” Outside a fancy hotel, she gets swept inside by a crowd greeting a star. As she gets her first glimpse of the grand lobby, she is shooed away by someone saying, “No colored people are allowed!” This is all so upsetting that she runs to the ruins at the Mission Church to cry, missing her grandmother and thinking of turning back. Instead she meets Blooming Mary, who takes care of the gardens and encourages Tricia Ann to think of what her grandmother would want her to do. She knows her grandmother would want her to go on to “Someplace Special.” She has one last difficult encounter with a white girl her age before arriving at “Someplace Special,” a place her grandmother calls “a doorway to freedom.” As she enters, she sees chiseled in stone at the top of the building, “PUBLIC LIBRARY: ALL ARE WELCOME.”  

Hanna’s Comments: The Author’s Note in the back explains that this is a fictionalized version of events in her childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. Here she personalizes the racism that she faced, and explains that her parents had fortified her with enough love, respect, and pride that she was able to face these situations. She explains that the treacherous journey to the library was worth the effort for there she felt welcome and able to read and check out many books, learning that “reading is the doorway to freedom.”

Publisher & Date of Publication: Atheneum Books, 2001

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4 and up, Pre and up

# of Pages: 40

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: Tablet

PBT Category: Non-fiction, Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: acceptance, action, adaptation/assimilation, 

America, anger, armor, belonging, bravery/courage, bullying/martyrs/persecution/oppression, challenges, civil rights, confidence, conformity, difficulties, disabilities/handicaps/limitations, emotions/feelings, encouragement, equality/inequality, evil, exclusion/inclusion, fear, freedom, golden rule, grandparents, gratitude/thanksgiving, injustice, insecurity, integration, intolerance, journeys/migrations/pilgrimages/quests, justice, language/literacy/reading, the law/rules/10 commandments, North America, obstacles, perseverance, prejudice, pride, race relations/racism, risking, satisfaction, segregation, self-control, self-discovery, sin, victims

Scripture Connections: You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32); For you were called to freedom (Galatians 5:13)

Idea(s) for Application:  Use this book when teaching children in your faith community a lesson on the importance of freedom and its relationship to knowledge. Also, this is a journey story with obstacles, suffering, and doubts. In spite of these, Tricia Ann perseveres. There are many journey stories in the Holy Scriptures that could be connected to this story.

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 275

Picture Book: Young Martin’s Promise
Author: Walter Dean Myers
General Editor: Alex Haley
Illustrator: Barbara Higgins Bond
Summary: This picture book of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s boyhood is about how segregation affected him personally as a child. It includes his disappointment in not being able to attend school and later play ball with the white boys in his neighborhood. How MLK Jr.’s parents might have first explained racism and segregation to him is depicted here as well as an account of purchasing shoes with his father. When told to sit in the “colored” section of the store, his father refuses, and they leave the store. Conversations about the injustice of segregation continue in young Martin’s family, and he promises his father that he will fight against segregation.  
Hanna’s Comments: There are many other picture book biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr. I chose this one because it depicts him as a child, first learning of segregation, being detrimentally affected by it, and then being determined to work for social justice in his adulthood. I think children will be particularly drawn to this story. Be sure to ask your audience about the injustices they see now that might stir them toward working for change now and when they are adults. Point out that both MLK, Jr. and his father were ministers who were inspired by scripture to resist segregation in ways that were non-violent. This book includes an introductory note by Alex Haley and another note in the back about the MLK, Jr. holiday.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Steck-Vaughn, 1993
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 5 and up, K and up
# of Pages: 32
Available in Spanish? Not at present
Formats other than Book: None at present
PBT Category: Biography, Pre 2K
PBT Topics this Book Connects with:  abuse/abuse of power, America, aspirations/dreams, beginnings/morning, brokenness, bullying/martyrs/persecution/oppression, call/calling/vocation, civil rights, commitment, covenant/promises/vow, equality/inequality, fathers, growing up/growth, heroes, hope, injustice, integration, justice, legacies, neighbors, North America, prejudice, race relations/racism, segregation, social justice

Scripture Connections: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8); blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6)
Idea(s) for Application: Read this book to children when doing a scripture-based lesson on justice, righteousness, or non-violence. 

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 136

Picture Book: Ruth and the Green Book

Author: Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen Strauss

Illustrator: Floyd Cooper

Summary: Ruth is excited because she and her parents are driving from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandmother. It is the 1950’s so before the trip, Ruth’s mother spends days cooking meals knowing there will be few restaurants willing to serve Negros. As they are rejected from various gas stations, hotels, and restaurants and spend the night in their car, they eventually learn to look for Esso gas stations where they will be welcomed. At one of these stations, they purchase The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide to places that would welcome black travelers. Ruth learns to use the book and is so happy to experience the hospitality of fellow African Americans. Eventually she makes it to the loving arms of her grandmother.

Hanna’s Comments: I am a passionate advocate of the practice of hospitality so I especially loved the part of this story where Ruth’s family is welcomed into a “tourist home.” These were homes listed in The Green Book where travelers were warmly welcomed, in this case for no charge. In the back of the book you’ll find The History of The Negro Motorist Green Book. 2014 was the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Bill which outlawed Jim Crow laws and therefore also the anniversary of the last edition of The Green Book. Thank goodness this book is now a relic of last century and no longer necessary for families of color to comfortably travel for long distances.  

Publisher & Date of Publication: Scholastic, 2010

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 6 and up, 1^st and up

# of Pages: 32

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: Tablet, Amateur videos on Youtube.com

PBT Category: Post 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: bonds/connections, bullying/martyrs/persecution/oppression, civil rights, community, conflict, dependence/interdependence, difference, directions/maps, exclusion/inclusion, geography, hospitality, injustice, journeys/pilgrimages/migrations/quests, race relations/racism, safe place/sanctuary, segregation, social justice, travel, veterans

Scripture Connections: Treat the stranger as the native among you (Leviticus 19:34); the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37); seek to show hospitality (Romans 12:13); do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2); show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)

Idea(s) for Application: Use this in a lesson or sermon on how Holy Scripture, like The Green Book, can be a comfort, a safety net, and a guide. Also, consider that the author of The Green Book might have been inspired by God's desires for humans to be safe and hospitable in all situations.

A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 132

Picture Book: But Not the Hippopotamus

Author & Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Summary: Boynton is famous for her whimsical animal characters, but they are not so nice in this book. “A dog and a frog do a dance in the bog. But not the hippopotamus.” Sadly the hippopotamus is left out of all sorts of fun activities. The story and illustrations never reveal why. Finally, the animals decide to “hurry out for a jog” and then think to come back for … “Yes, the hippopotamus!”

Hanna’s Comments: This may be a silly, simple book, but it packs a punch of relevant meaning. Children struggle with in-group vs. out-group issues in their homes, schools, and religious communities. Talk with your children about the heartaches (and joys) of cliques and informal groups with this fun book. In a comical context, your kids may be more willing to honestly confess to this common human behavior and allow you to discuss how exclusivity and inclusivity fit into your faith values. Don’t hesitate to model a little confessing on your own. Sometimes your confessions are what children are most likely to find meaningful and remember.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Little Simon Books, 1982

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 2 and up, Toddler and up

# of Pages: 14

Available in Spanish? Not at Present

Formats other than Book: Tablet

PBT Category: Pre 2k

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: acceptance, belonging, body of Christ, disappointment, exclusion/inclusion, exile/separation, friends/friendship, God’s will, golden rule/great commandment, hospitality, injustice, integration, loneliness, neglect, outsiders, participation, pleasing God/the Shema, prejudice, segregation, sin, social justice

Scripture Connections: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. All are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

Idea(s) for Application: Jesus ministered to a great number of outsiders (women, lepers, Gentiles, tax collectors, Samaritans…). Use this book when discussing one of these stories or Jesus’ tendency to include.