Week 6: Pink and Say

• Week: 6
• Book Title: Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
• Book Cover Image:

Copyright 1994, Philomel Books

• Book Summary: This is the story of two young boys in the Civil War.  They are both fighting for the North, although Pink is black and Say is white.  An injured Pink finds Say unconscious in a field and drags him home to his mother.  They are in danger from marauders no matter where they go.  They put Moe Moe Bay in mortal danger by staying in her home.  When they are captured, Pink is hanged and Say suffers in prison camp.  This story is told by Say's descendants.
• APA Reference:  Polacco, P. (1994).  Pink and Say.  New York, NY:  Scholastic, Inc.
• My Impressions:  This is a compelling story of horrific events suffered by two young boys.  It is painful that kids had to suffer and survive like this during the Civil War, or any war. The ending made me cry.  I find it amazing that the story was passed down from generation to generation to Patricia Polacco.  I imagine that there were thousands of similar stories from the Civil War that are now lost.  I like the fact that Polacco puts the "facts" in the very beginning of the book and at the very end as well.  Although Abraham Lincoln is not a character in the book, his importance to the people fighting for his beliefs shines through.  To touch the hand of a person who touched the hand of a person who shook hands with the great man is amazing.  It makes me wonder what stories are in my family that I should hear and perhaps write down.
• Professional Review:

School Library Journal ( May 01, 1997; 9780804568357 )

K-Gr 5‘Pink and Say is Patricia Polacco's history-rich, emotion-laden story (Putnam, 1994) about the friendship between two boys who meet while fighting for the Union in the Civil War. Pinky, a black boy, finds Say, a wounded white boy, and brings him home. Pink's mother nurses Say, and just as the boys prepare to return to war, marauders come to the cabin, killing Pink's mother. The boys are captured several days later by Confederate troops. Say (Polacco's great-grandfather) survives‘Pink does not. The scenes cut seamlessly between her lavish illustrations. These are bonuses to an already wonderful story, and show how author/illustrator Polacco melds her life into her craft. More than just a book Pink and Say introduces readers to the author, to storytelling in its finest face-to-face tradition, and to an accounting useful as a literature link to the Civil War, slavery, or Black History Month. School and public libraries would find this a worthy addition to their collections.-Marilyn Hersh, Hillside Elementary School, Farmington Hills, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reference:  Hersh, M.  (2010).  [Review of the book Pink and Say, by Patricia Polacco].  Library Journals LLC.  Retrieved from Bowker booksinprint.com.

• Library Uses:  I would read this to the sixth grade classes right before they start their Civil War unit.  Then I would have them go to the Library of Congress website to look up original documents like letters from Civil War soldiers, and documents from the Andersonville Prison Camp.