The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Ramsey, Calvin Alexander , Stroud, Bettye

Belle, the Last Mule at Gee's Bend

32 pp. | Candlewick | September, 2011 | Trade ISBN 978-0-7636-4058-3 $15.99

(2) K-3 Illustrated by John Holyfield. Alex asks Miz Pettway why a mule, Belle, is allowed to eat collards from her garden. Turns out Belle is a civil rights hero who helped transport African Americans to vote; she also pulled the wagon holding Dr. King's coffin through the streets of Atlanta. Soft acrylics, textured to look antiqued, are effective in illustrating this little-known true story of the civil rights movement.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011