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


Summary: In the early years of the 20th Century, Elizabeth Coleman, Bessie, becomes the first African-American female pilot.  The book tells of her story through the narration of different characters in Bessie's life.  From friends, family, and acquaintances, we learn about Bessie as she grew up, her character, and her struggles.  Bessie not only battled sexism from those who believed that women couldn't fly to racism that kept her from being a pilot to non-minorities.  We learn that Bessie had to travel overseas in order to get her pilot license and even after earning it, many wouldn't allow her to fly planes in the U.S.  Unfortunately, after previous close calls, Bessie dies in a plane crash at the young age of 34, never fulfilling her dream of opening a flight school for African Americans.

Reference: Grimes, N. (2001) Talkin' about Bessie: The story of aviator Elizabeth Coleman. New York, NY. Orchard Books

Impressions: I was impressed by the way Nikki Grimes conveys Bessie's biography by telling it through the eyes of others.  These people were there in different stages of her life, which allows insight into Bessie's personality.  With each character telling about their interactions with Bessie, the tale builds up, making the reader grow in anticipation to hear from Bessie herself.  However, as I read the narratives I eagerly wanted to know if they were true accounts, but there was no indication of letting us know; so, the reader is left wondering.  Nonetheless, Bessie's story is an extraordinary one of a woman who was determined to succeed in an area that she had no business succeeded in the first place.  It's a testament to women and minorities everywhere.

Professional Review: “Brave Bessie Coleman,” the first black woman in the world to earn a pilot’s license, has been the subject of several recent picture book biographies: (Fly, Bessie, Fly, by Lynn Joseph, 1998; Fly High!, by Louise Borden and Mary Kay Kroeger, 2001; Nobody Owns the Sky, by Reeve Lindbergh, 1996). Grimes takes an unusual, fictionalized approach to portraying this determined, undaunted woman who made aviation history. She recreates the voices of 20 people who supposedly knew Bessie, expressing their point of view in a free-verse format. Each double spread has the person’s monologue with his or her name or role running down the edge of the page with a cameo drawing like a photo at the top; opposite is a full-page illustration in Lewis’s typical style that strikingly adds dimension and context to the times and the woman. From her father, who left the large family in Texas, to sisters to flight instructor to news reporter to young fan, the monologue device succeeds somewhat in piecing together a portrait of this woman who braved hardships of both poverty and prejudice. Her dream was to open an aviation school for African-Americans, but a plane crash in 1926 ended her life at age 34. The handsome design, large format, and beautiful artwork make this very attractive, but the lack of source notes or clarification of what’s fictionalized—especially quotes—and the strange opening scene set at Bessie’s wake as she speaks to her mother from her photo on the mantel, will leave many readers confused.

(May 2010 online). [review of Talkin' about Bessie: The story of aviator Elizabeth Coleman]. Oct 2002 Issue Review Kirkus Review. Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:3574/index.php/jbookdetail/jqbookdetail?page=1&pos=0&isbn=9780439352437.

Library use: February is Black History month and a reading of Talkin' About Bessie would reveal to people the various important figures who've made contributions other than Martin Luther King, Jr and Jackie Robinson.  That's not to say that King and Robinson weren't significant figures, but people need to learn about many others who contributed.  Through the reading, they can learn about Bessie and the things she accomplished in her life. A February book reading would be a great time to introduce kids to other important contributors to Black History.

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