Eloise Greenfield
For over two decades, Eloise Greenfield been a steady voice for African Americans and children. Contributing to children's books with poetry, biographies, and fiction, Greenfield has won the Coretta Scott King Award as well as several other awards from the American Library Association. She's written and published when the market wasn't as steady as her voice.
It was stereotyping that led Greenfield to focus on publishing children's books. "In children's writing, it's particularly important to avoid the stereotypes and be sure you're doing something that's nourishing for children." Greenfield accomplishes this by "listening to the people who live in my imagination...watching them, getting to know them, seeing what they're experiencing, and giving them what they want." It is Greenfield's attention to the specific needs of her individual characters that accomplishes her desire "to show life the way it really is, in all its aspects. So often the negative is emphasized in books about African-American life. I'm trying to give a total picture."
William and the Good Old Days (HarperCollins, 1993, Ages 4 to 8, $15.00) is based on real incidents in the life of Greenfield's illustrator and friend, Jan Spivey Gilchrist. William and the Good Old Days was initiated by Gilchrist's life, given words by Greenfield, and the loop was completed when Gilchrist illustrated the story. The cycle began when Gilchrist told Greenfield of the pain her son William faced because of his grandmother's illness. "I created a new character and story, but the warmth really existed and there was that real closeness between Jan's son and his grandmother."
In her book and in real life, the support of people around William help him face his sadness. In the book, William remembers his grandma setting up her sidewalk grill. "People would come around and watch, and talk to each other, and talk to me and make me laugh...all those happy people-sounds would make my food taste extra, extra good."
It is detailed experience of her characters that allows Greenfield to convey in children's books the gifts she sees around her. "Community is one of African-Americans' strongest assets because we've had so much to protect each other from. Community has very often kept people alive...in all senses, even in the physical sense. It's something we've always known about our lives, but it's not always recognized by people who are writing about us...."
"William has support, but he has the strength himself to figure things out, move himself forward through his pain, and adjust to the fact that the new life will be different than the old." William is resilient because Eloise Greenfield believes that "people are resilient and African-Americans are especially resilient because we've had to be."
William's hope and optimism buoy him through the process. "Hope is part of human nature when people are not too beaten down. It's critical that you have someone around to reflect hope... both for children and for adults."
Greenfield has a hope for the future of children's books. "There have always been racist books and they're still being published. I would like to see them not published...to see an end to stereotypes." For twenty years, Greenfield has given children's books scores of individual characters who challenge stereotyping and deny generalization.
Reviews
Angels
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Show your children just how much you love them with this heartwarming selection of angel poems. Greenfield and Gilchrist pair up to create a beautiful portrayal of angels loving and helping children in their everyday lives. Young readers will discover that angels take many forms, like that of a father or best friend, and that everywhere they turn, an angel is ready to help them. Who knows? They may even become inspired to be a special angel to someone they know. What a perfect way to introduce children to the power of prayer and faith. 1998, Hyperion Books, Ages 3 to 6, $14.95. Reviewer: Helen J. Pavick
ISBN: 0-7868-0442-4
Big Friend, Little Friend
Eloise Greenfield
Jan S. Gilchrist
In the last year there has been an explosion of African-American books illustrated or written by people within the culture. Soft watercolors by Jan Gilchrist accent the gentle words of Eloise Greenfield in four board books: My Doll, Keishia; Daddy and I...; I Make Music; and Big Friend, Little Friend. 1991, Writers & Readers/Black Butterfly, Ages 3 mo. to 3, $5.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-86316-204-5
Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir
Eloise Greenfield and Lessie Jones Little
Esteemed children's author Eloise Greenfield teamed up with her mother Lessie Jones Little to create Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir, which tells of the growing-up years of Greenfield, Little and Greenfield's grandmother Pattie Ridley Jones. Rich in detail, the book gives an African-American child's eye view of the South in the late 1800's, World War I, and segregated Washington, D.C., and includes anecdotes and photos of family members to make these people come alive. 1993, HarperCollins, Ages 10 up, $13.95, $13.89, and $6.95. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 0-690-03874-7
ISBN: 0-690-03875-5
ISBN: 0-06-446134-3
Daddy and I...
Eloise Greenfield
Jan S. Gilchrist
In the last year there has been an explosion of African-American books illustrated or written by people within the culture. Soft watercolors by Jan Gilchrist accent the gentle words of Eloise Greenfield in four board books: My Doll, Keishia; Daddy and I...; I Make Music; and Big Friend, Little Friend. 1991, Writers & Readers/Black Butterfly, Ages 3 mo. to 3, $4.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-86316-206-1
Easter Parade
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
In Easter Parade, Eloise Greenfield and Jan Spivey Gilchrist have created a little treasure of a book. Greenfield tells the story of how two cousins, little Leanna in Chicago and Elizabeth in Washington, D.C., prepare for and experience the Easter Parade in the spring of 1943. Leanna's excitement about this parade is balanced by Elizabeth's sadness and fear for her father, who is fighting in World War II. As Easter draws near, each girl assembles her outfit to wear in the parade and anticipates the upcoming holiday in a different way. The female characters in this story (acting as mothers, daughters, cousins, sisters, aunts, and godmothers) show strength, tenderness, and support for each other. Jan Spivey Gilchrist's sepia-toned graphite illustrations beautifully capture the girls' emotions and deepen the story. Easter Parade is a lovely, moving story filled with hope and strength. 1998, Hyperion Books for Children, Ages 4 up, $13.95. Reviewer: Eileen Hanning
ISBN: 0-7868-0326-6
First Pink Light
Eloise Greenfield
Jan S. Gilchrist
In addition to wonderful board books, Greenfield and Gilchrist collaborate on a lyrical, sensitive story for older children, First Pink Light. The tale tells of a young boy welcoming his father back home to his loving family. 1991, Writers & Readers, Ages 3 to 7, $13.95 and $6.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-86316-207-X
ISBN: 0-86316-212-6
For the Love of the Game: Michael Jordan and Me
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
This breathtaking book by renowned poet Eloise Greenfield and celebrated artist Jan Spivey Gilchrist is best reviewed by the author herself. "An eleven-year-old girl and boy express their feelings about the world, its beauty and its hazards. They are drawn to the world and intensely curious, yet apprehensive about what life may have in store for them. They come to understand the importance of listening to their innermost selves, their spirits, and they feel their connection to the spirit that makes Michael Jordan fly." Each page brings readers' goosebumps higher and higher on the surface of their skin. It is quite simply, a beautiful and inspirational piece of work. 1997, HarperCollins, Ages All, $14.95. Reviewer: Catherine Campbell Wright
ISBN: 0-06-027298-8
Grandmama's Joy
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Carole Byard
In this moving story, Rhondy is upset one fine day by her grandmama's mysterious sadness. Rhondy tries hard to cheer her up by putting on a show, asking a neighbor to give her a call, and bringing her a pebble from the yard. At the last gift, Grandmama breaks down and cries, explaining to Rhondy that the two of them will have to leave their yard and house since Grandmama can no longer afford the rent. Rhondy cheers her grandmother by reminding her of the most important thing-they are other's joy. Thus the story achieves an emotionally satisfying ending without offering a false solution to the family's economic problem. Carole Byard's black-and-white drawings complement the story. A Coretta Scott King Honor Book and a NCSS Notable Children's Trade Book in the field of social studies, this book would be a strong addition to a unit on families or social studies. 1999 (orig. 1980), PaperStar/Putnam, Ages 4 to 8, $8.95 and $5.99. Reviewer: Gwendolyn Bradley
ISBN: 0-399-21064-4
ISBN: 0-698-11754-9
Grandpa's Face
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Children resist change. When Grandfather must transform his facial expressions while rehearsing for a community theater production, his granddaughter worries about the man behind the new face. 1991 (orig. 1988), Philomel Books, Ages 3 to 8, $15.95 and $5.95. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino
ISBN: 0-399-21525-5
ISBN: 0-698-11381-0
Honey I Love
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Diane and Leo Dillon
Greenfield brings her poetic vision of family love to young children in this book. Written for new readers, the book is filled with evocative images like the way a cousin from the South talks so "every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth." Greenfield supports young readers with a song-like rhythmic words, images they can relate too, and a nurturing spirit that echoes in the ending refrain, "I love a lot of things,/ a whole lot of things/ And honey,/ I love ME, too." 1994 (orig. 1978), HarperCollins, Ages 4 to 6, $13.95, $13.89, $7.95 and $3.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-690-01334-5
ISBN: 0-690-03845-3
ISBN: 0-694-00579-7
ISBN: 0-06-443097-9
I Make Music
Eloise Greenfield
Jan S. Gilchrist
In the last year there has been an explosion of African-American books illustrated or written by people within the culture. Soft watercolors by Jan Gilchrist accent the gentle words of Eloise Greenfield in four board books: My Doll, Keishia; Daddy and I...; I Make Music; and Big Friend, Little Friend. 1991, Writers & Readers/Black Butterfly, Ages 3 mo. to 3, $5.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-86316-205-3
Mary McLeod Bethune
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
New in paperback is Greenfield's book for beginning readers. Each page of large print faces a black and white illustration by Jerry Pinkney. Together author and illustrator unfold the life of Mary Mcleod Bethune. Born shortly after the time of slavery, Bethune was hungry to read and learn and after meeting her own needs went forth to nurture the intellectual, physical and emotional needs of her people. 1994 (orig. 1977), HarperCollins, Ages 5 to 9, $14.89 and $5.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-690-01129-6
ISBN: 0-06-446168-8
My Doll, Keishia
Eloise Greenfield
Jan S. Gilchrist
In the last year there has been an explosion of African-American books illustrated or written by people within the culture. Soft watercolors by Jan Gilchrist accent the gentle words of Eloise Greenfield in four board books: My Doll, Keishia; Daddy and I...; I Make Music; and Big Friend, Little Friend. 1991, Writers & Readers/Black Butterfly, Ages 3 mo. to 3, $5.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-86316-203-7
Nathaniel Talking
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Greenfield's rap-inspired text and Gilchrist's pictures combine to give the reader nine-year-old Nathaniel B. Free's view of the world as he raps "...about [his] philosophy/About the things to do/And the people [he] see[s]." The "12-bar blues" form of "My Daddy" and "Watching the World Go By" is explained for kids who want to create similar poems. 1993 (orig. 1988), Black Butterfly Children's Books, Ages 5 to 11, $12.95 and $6.95. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 0-86316-200-2
ISBN: 0-86316-201-0
Night on Neighborhood Street
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Eloise Greenfield celebrates life in a black neighborhood in Night on Neighborhood Street. The Robinsons gather "...Just before bed / The kids in pajamas / The homework's been read / It's time for the family to have some fun / 'It's fambly time!' / Says the littlest one...." Tonya's mother entertains her daughter's friends when they spend the night by playing her horn "...and lets them sing / (Do they make that music swing!)" There are also poems of fear and danger in this unvarnished glimpse of city life, where children "...reach for warmth and life" especially when "the seller" comes around. Jan Spivey Gilchrist's vivid portraits of individuals loving, caring, worrying, and dreaming, make this a unique blend of poetry and art. 1991, Dial/Puffin, Ages 7 to 11, $14.99 and 5.99. Reviewer: Jan Lieberman
ISBN: 0-8037-0777-0
ISBN: 0-14-055683-4
On My Horse
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
This book gives us a lovely pretend adventure on a real horse. The horse's owner is leading the child who is riding the horse. The child says that he imagines himself riding fast. He and the horse gallop away from the owner, into a field and past a stream, until the horse, leaping over the stream, brings him back to the owner and then "we are three." Rhyming couplets at the beginning and end are tame, and the unrhymed adventure is free and almost wild. The illustrations are beautiful. A good read-aloud. 1997, HarperFestival, Ages 4 to 7, $7.95. Reviewer: Judy Silverman
ISBN: 0-694-00583-5
Rosa Parks
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Eric Marlow
A picture book biography. The book shows Ms. Parks' quiet girlhood under Jim Crow laws and the moment she was catapulted into history by her refusal to bow to an injustice. The book also chronicles the outcome of her act; the NAACP rallying to protest, the death threats, the bombing of protesters' homes, the arrests, the spreading of the protest to other cities. Greenfield ends by calling Parks "the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." 1995, HarperCollins, Ages 7 to 10, $13.89 and $3.95. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 0-06-027110-8
ISBN: 0-06-442025-6
William and the Good Old Days
Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Based on real incidents in the life of Greenfield's illustrator friend Jan Spivey Gilchrist's son, William and the pain he faced because of his grandmother's illness. In the book as well as real life, the support of people around William help him face his sadness. William remembers his grandma setting up her sidewalk grill. "People would come around and watch, and talk to each other, and talk to me and make me laugh...all those happy people-sounds would make my food taste extra, extra good." William is resilient and his hope and optimism buoy him. 1993, HarperCollins, Ages 4 to 8, $14.89. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-06-021094-X
Updated 1999
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