Pink and Say

by Patricia Polacco

There are few picture books written about the Civil War, and none are as powerful as this one. This story, about how a young black soldier rescues a white soldier, opens young readers' eyes to the injustices of slavery and the senselessness of war. Highly charged emotionally, this masterful retelling of a true story is seen through the white soldier's eyes.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Civil War, Cultural, Friendship, War

48 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 1994

About the author

Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award-winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She resides in Michigan.

Reviews

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many of the books I had read by Patricia Polacco were extremely emotional and sad like The Junkyard Wonders and Thank You, Mr. Falker, but none of them had hit me so close to my heart than her book “Pink and Say.” “Pink and Say” is a story about the friendship between two boys of different races whose ending will make you want to cry for many years to come.

Sheldon Russell Curtis was a young soldier who was injured during the Civil War and was left for dead until a young African-American boy named Pinkus comes to his aid and brings him home with him. Pinkus lived with his mother, Moe Moe Bay who was kind and treated Sheldon like her own son. Unfortunately, Sheldon and Pinkus knew that they were putting Moe Moe Bay in jeopardy since they escaped from the Civil War and the marauding Confederate troops were chasing after them. Now they must find a way to get away from Moe Moe Bay before it is too late!

Reading most of Patricia Polacco’s books, I have noticed that all of her books always have an underlying theme of accepting other people, no matter how different they are while tying these stories to her real life experiences, which I always believed made her stories even more memorable to read. Now, after reading this book “Pink and Say,” I have to say that Patricia Polacco has truly defined the importance of accepting other people’s differences even under hardships such as war. I loved the way that Patricia Polacco had portrayed the relationship between Pinkus, a young African-American soldier and Sheldon, a young Caucasian soldier, as they treated each other like good friends, despite being of different races. It was fantastic and emotional seeing what the Civil War had done to Pinkus and Sheldon and my heart was actually breaking when they were scared of getting anyone hurt in this war, but they know that they have to fight this war to put an end to slavery. I have always read books about the Civil War, but never had I read a book that actually showed me how the Civil War had affected the people fighting in it in a more up close and personal way. Patricia Polacco had done a brilliant job at showing the horrors and painful emotions that the characters suffered through this war, while stating that war itself is terrible, but you must fight for what you believe is right. Patricia Polacco’s illustrations are as usual, gorgeous to look at as the images of Sheldon and Pinkus communicating with each other was a truly beautiful scene to look at. I also loved the way that the characters look as realistic as it really brings so much reality to this story.

Parents should know that this picture book has some images of characters getting shot and blood leaking out of their wounds. This might disturb younger children who want to read about the Civil War, so parents might want to read this book to see if it is appropriate before reading it to their child. Also, the ending was extremely sad as it involves the death of one of the characters (which I will not reveal because I do not want to spoil this book for anyone) and parents might want to read over these scenes before they read it to their children.

Overall, “Pink and Say” is easily Patricia Polacco’s saddest yet most emotional book to ever be written and anyone who wants to read about the Civil War through a personal account should definitely check this book out! I would recommend this book to children ages seven and up since the scenes of characters getting shot might disturb younger children.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Such a sad story. As you might expect from a Patricia Polacco book, this is uplifting and gives you hope in human nature and it is heartbreakingly sad and makes you despair too.

The American Civil war is something I know very little about, this gives you a taste of what it was like for young people having to fight. This is a good picture book for those wanting an introduction to this period of history from a personal point of view.

I do love these personal stories Patricia Polacco has from her family, a lot of amazing stories where passed on to Patricia and she is a great storyteller, one that takes you on an emotional roller coaster. One reviewer that seems to have done a lot of research into these characters seems to think this is fiction, who knows, but for me this was still a great story about the hideous waste of young people at war or the pain any war causes.

This is a very sad book and definitely aimed at older readers and not for a sensitive reader.

Read on open library

[Intisar Khanani · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 y/o daughter's Lit and Writing teacher lent me this book today after school, and I sat outside in the January sunshine and read it while my kids played. And cried. A book about differences and similarities, about brotherhood and kindness, about fear and courage, and both the senseless waste of war and the importance of fighting for what is right. I will remember Pinkus Aylee for a long time.

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

Patricia Polacco has this uncanny ability to tell a story that gets straight to my heart and makes me cry. I was so choked up that I found it difficult to read the last few pages without my voice wavering.

The fact that it is a true story and that it is her great-grandfather's story makes it all the more powerful. A few days after reading this story with our girls, I just had to read it to myself again. Without fail, it brings up all the same emotions as before.

The Civil War was the bloodiest war we have ever experienced as a nation, primarily because we were killing one another. The war accounted for roughly as many American deaths as all American deaths in other U.S. wars combined; what surprised me, however, is that more soldiers died from disease than from war wounds. (see more statistics here)

This is a tough subject, even more than 150 years following the start of the war. The mere fact that this story was passed down from generation to generation and finally put into print testifies to the intensity of the conflict, the horrors experienced, and the compassion shown.

I grew up in Massachusetts and only now that I live in Virginia do I realize how much my schools glossed over the Civil War. We spent a lot of time on the Revolutionary War and were reminded daily of the events by the statues in our towns, the names of our buildings and the monuments to the battlefields that were all around us. And we discussed WWII extensively, too. But the Civil War received only slight attention: memorize some names and dates, and learn about President Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation.

That was it.

Here in Virginia, we are surrounded by remnants of the Civil War and I am learning as much about it as our girls are. I see now, the perilous brink our nation came to and the costs that were incurred by the whole nation. The battlefields from the Civil War are everywhere and I am finally opening my eyes to the devastation that our country experienced.

The mere fact that Ms. Polacco is here today, sharing her stories with the world, is directly connected to the generosity that one young man and his mother gave to help save another young man's life.

Whether this is a completely factual story or a fictionalized one that has some basis in history is up for debate. Nevertheless, it's a heartbreaking and touching story. One that makes me cry just thinking about it.

That is the power of her words.
And for that I am thankful.
Thank you, Pinkus Aylee.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s another Polacco book that made me cry. I could actually see rating it anywhere from 1 to 5 stars; I had to think a bit before I assigned my number of stars rating.

It’s as close to non-fiction as it can get; Polacco comes from a family of storytellers and the Say in the title is her great great grandfather. This story came down from Say, whose full name was Sheldon Russell Curtis.

This story takes place when he was in his mid teens and was a very reluctant Union soldier during the American Civil War. Pink is Pinkus Aylee, born a slave, also fighting for the Union and also a teenager. Pink saves Say when he finds him injured with a bullet hole in his leg.

These two develop a friendship and that is the uplifting part of the story. However, this is a grim story. It’s about war and its horrors, and the brutality experienced by African Americans by the Confederacy. I’m now once again interested in the Andersonville POW camp. It’s been years since I’ve read anything about it, and it’s just briefly mentioned here.

These two are interesting characters. Pink knows how to read, even though it’s illegal for a slave to be taught to read. Say has shaken the hand of President Lincoln.

I first shelved this as fiction and historical fiction but after reading it changed the shelves to biography, history, non-fiction. I’m not sure whether that’s accurate labeling, but unless I see evidence to the contrary it works for me.

This book is not for the faint hearted and it’s not for children under eight years old, in my opinion.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

*libby app*

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Over the years, many books have become favorites of history teachers to help students better visualize a specific period of time. Pink and Say is used by many elementary and middle school teachers to discuss the War Between the States. Though it is listed as fiction, many educators try to state it is factual. With the sesquicentennial on the horizon, it is imperative to make sure what is being taught in the classroom is accurate and true.

The setting for Pink and Say is somewhere in Georgia after an unknown "fierce" battle in an unidentified year. The key characters are Pinkus Aylee, better known as Pink, a slave from Georgia, and Sheldon "Say" Russell Curtis, a young farm boy from Ohio. Both are fighting for the US Army. Pink stumbles upon Say, who had been wounded, in a "blood-soaked pasture" while in search for the 48th Colored Troops. Thus begins the story.

According to the author, Patricia Polacco, this account has been handed down through her family generation after generation and is true. Like with any folktale, there are elements based on fact, but much more is altered with time till the legitimacy of the account is questionable.

The first discrepancy in this publication is that the 48th Colored Troops were on garrison duty in Vicksburg, Mississippi. This regiment was organized on March 11, 1864. In reality, this regiment was never stationed in or near Georgia during the War Between the States. Additionally, General Sherman was against colored troops, so there were never any black regiments under his command. Upon future research, there is no documentation of a soldier by the name of Pinkus Aylee in any regiment in the Union Army according to the National Park Service. In considering the above facts, a shadow of doubt is put on the authenticity of the character of Pink.

Ms. Polacco states that Pink was owned by the family of Aylee from Georgia. His mother still lived in one of the slave homes on the plantation, but the master's home was destroyed during the war. According to the 1860 census, there was no family in Georgia by that last name. Moreover, in searching the entire United States in the 1860s census there is no one with that last name either. In reviewing the similar variations of spelling of last names, none of the families met the criteria set up by the author to be Pink's owner.

The other main character, Say, has some inaccuracies as well. Ms. Polacco states he was with the 24th Ohio Regiment as a color bearer because he was too young to fight. With some investigation, no one by the name of Sheldon R. Curtis served in this regiment; however, this name does appear on the roster of Company M, 6th Michigan Cavalry. Furthermore, the only veteran with that name listed in the 1890 Veterans' Census verified the above information.
An age inaccuracy causes some misgivings about this character also. According to Ms. Polacco, Say is only 15 years old, but the soldier mentioned above was around 21 years of age. In fact, Mr. Curtis was married on May 10, 1860 to Miss Abigail M. Barnard in Ionia County, Michigan. With this fact being uncovered, this reviewer examined the possibilities of two people with the same name. However, no other solider could be found in the ranks of the US army with Say's given name. Besides, Ms. Polacco supports Mr. Curtis' history after the war in her book. This leads to the consideration that the soldier in the 6th Michigan Cavalry is the same as the one in the book.

Near the end of the tale, Pink and Say both are taken to Andersonville as captives of the Confederate Army. In Camp Sumter's prisoners' roster, it states that the person by the name of Sheldon R. Curtis in the Company M, 10th Michigan Cavalry was captured in Chancellorsville, Virginia on June 12, 1864. This is a deviation from the regiment listed on the soldier's service record. There is no notation of anyone by the name of Pinkus Aylee ever being held in Andersonville. Per the story, he was hung; yet he is not listed among the dead.

It is important to note that Say was shot when running away from his unit, or better described as deserting. He does not desire to return to his regiment when Pink was eager to leave. He even discusses this with Pink's mother. The author sugar coats it and states that it is because he is so young that he fears the war. In truth deserters were shot, branded or sent to prison for their cowardliness.

Pink and Say has won publication awards and has a curriculum written for teachers to use in the classroom; nevertheless, this book is not recommended to be used in any setting, much less a classroom. There are more inaccuracies within the pages of this publication, but for sake of time and space, the most significant factual errors are covered. This publication is truly a fiction book and should never be considered anything more.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Polacco has explored her own childhood experiences in picture-books like The Trees of the Dancing Goats , Thank You, Mr. Falker and Mrs. Mack ; she has related the tale of her daughter's childhood friend, and her battle with cancer, in The Lemonade Club ; and retold the story of her Aunt Monique's childhood days in Nazi-occupied France, in The Butterfly . Her mother's life, and Polacco's loving relationship with her, feature prominently in Betty Doll , while the Christmas experiences of a great uncle can be found in An Orange for Frankie . In short, Polacco is an author who regularly mines her own history, and that of her family, to create poignant stories, and picture-books that linger in the reader's mind.

Pink and Say is no exception, being a retelling of a family story passed down through multiple generations - the story of Polacco's great-great-grandfather, Sheldon Russell Curtis, who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, was gravely injured, and left for dead in a muddy, blood-soaked field, and was then saved by Pinkus Aylee, former slave and fellow Union (child) soldier. Pinkus (Pink) and Sheldon (Say) became good friends, while on the run from marauders, and hiding out with Pink's mother, Moe Moe Bay, but war has few happy endings, and when they sought to return to their units, they found themselves captured, taken to the notorious Andersonville prison-camp, and separated forever...

A sobering and realistic look at a terrible time in our nation's past - Say is fifteen years old, and a deserter; Pink is determined to return to the fighting, but is instead executed, after being captured - Pink and Say is also a moving tribute to a friendship that took root in unpropitious soil, that flourished across racial and geographic lines, and that - despite being all too brief, in life - endured in the memory of one family. Polacco's family. This oral tradition has finally been recorded, in this moving picture-book, and we are all the richer for it. Highly recommended to anyone looking for titles that will give children the "feeling" of those times.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true story, handed down in the author’s family. It’s about her great-great grandfather’s experience fighting for the Union Army in the Civil War (at the age of 15), fleeing a particularly awful battle, getting shot and left to die, being rescued by an injured young man from a colored regiment, nursed to health by his new friend’s mother, and eventually imprisoned in the worst POW camp in the country. It’s a tale about a slave boy who, though he is much too young to be a soldier, runs willingly into battle because he’d rather die fighting slavery than live one more day as a slave. It’s about a mother, a slave whose husband and son have joined the Union Army, who refuses to leave a plantation situated close to the fighting, a plantation that everyone else has fled, because she wants to be there for her family should they return. A woman who treats a wounded white boy with as much love and tenderness as she does her own son.

For such a short story, a children’s picture book even, it’s filled with big ideas: the sickness that is slavery, the horrors of war, the healing power of love and human kindness, the capacity to hope in truly desperate times, heartbreak, and honor. The true meanings of freedom, duty, and bravery.

I love this story. So much.

I met the author when I was a college student, majoring in English and secondary education, volunteering to read in the children’s department of the local library. One day, Patricia Polacco came to our library and read Pink and Say to a group of future English and history teachers. She talked about the importance of telling personal stories to make history come alive for students. She traced her hand in the back of the books we each bought that night, and had us place our own hands there as well. You’ll see why if you read this book (and I highly recommend you do). When I occasionally read it to my students, I pass the book around so they can touch the author’s hand, and they’re invited into a lovely connection with the story teller and her great-great grandfather Sheldon Russell Curtis.

I tend to use this book to teach personal narratives, especially when I want my students to learn and then retell the story of someone in an older generation. It requires them to sit and listen to an elderly person (at least two generations removed), to take notes, and ask questions. I’ve brought Pink and Say out this year for narrative writing specifically because we’re teaching through the Romantic time period at my school right now, so it fits just perfectly.

Luckily, I found someone else reading the story online this year with visuals from the book. Because I choke up on the last three or four pages every damn time. Hell, I can’t even explain this book verbally without choking up. Thank Sweet Baby Jesus for technology. This year, I was saved the struggle of reading through the lump in my throat. I still cried. Who do you think I am? But I cried in silence. I like to think I was much more dignified that way. And my kids loved the book, too, even though most of them made it through without tears.

I do not understand their tiny hearts of steel. Mine, I think, is made of marshmallow fluff.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia Polacco has written many picture books that are beautiful, heartbreaking, and memorable but "Pink and Say" is the one that makes me cry every single time I read it. The author shares the story that she claims has been passed down through the generations from her great great grandfather Sheldon (Say) Curtis about his friendship with Pinkus (Pink) Aylee during the Civil War. Say is a teenaged white soldier from Ohio who is injured in battle in Georgia and discovered by Pink, an African American soldier and brings him back to his home to be tended to by his mother. While he mends, Say bonds with Pink and his family but the two young soldiers are eventually caught by Confederates and sent to the prison camp Andersonville. Pink's fate breaks your heart, but Say keeps his memory alive as he survives the war, and the book puts a human face on the devastation of this terrible time in our nation's history.

[NS - Cami Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought tears to my eyes. A colloquialistic account that could easily be read by 3-7 or even 8th grade. Patricia Polacco, once again, has written a masterpiece of its kind. I could honestly find no weaknesses in a story where a young black soldier finds a white soldier shot in the fields during the Civil War. Both boys were about 15 years old. From two different regiments, the black soldier named Pink, quenches his fellow soldier's thirst and carries him to what he used to know as home, only to be surprised to find his mother still living in the slave shack behind the burned down Master's House. There for just a few days with her son and a new child to rock, she would comfort, feed, sing, and read Bible stories to them until the shack was invaded by Marauders. Hiding in the cellar as they ransacked the shack, Pink's mother would be shot to death and the soldiers would be sent to a camp in Andersonville where Pink would be hanged. When Lincoln freed the slaves, Say would be released from camp sick, and frail, but free, but would live on to pass this story down through the generations in his family until it finally would finally reach Patricia. She uses this story to give a forgotten hero his due. Beautiful watercolor illustrations support the story.

[Jessica Hanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book initially appealed to me because I have heard many wonderful things about it, and I knew it was a picture book that appealed to older readers. After reading it, I felt it held up to its reputation. The story was heart-warming, yet informative, and it gives the reader lots of information about the Civil War, race realtions, and slavery, in a rich and powerful format. Polacco's word characterization provides an insight into her characters that is not always seen in pcture books and really makes the reader feel connected to a plight much different from their own. The ending is one of sadness, yet it makes the reader take a moment to think about how the events told in this book are not as long ago, or removed from us as we think. I would like to incorporate this book into my Literature Studies class as we are reading Nightjohn, or see if my students' Social Studies teacher would be interested in using it in his classes as well.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this powerfully written and illustrated picture book by gifted storyteller Patricia Polacco, readers are taken back to the Civil War. Sheldon Curtis (Say) is lying near a Southern battlefield. When Pinkus Aylee finds him, he carries the wounded boy back to his mother's house. She nurses him back to health, and the two boys become friends. Tragedy strikes, and as they're on their way back to join the Union troops, they are captured by Confederate troops and separated once they reach a camp for prisoners of war. The story is filled with poignant moments and hints of the indignity of slavery. Even though Pink was that rare slave who had been taught how to read by his master, he was certain that he had done so for his own convenience and not out of kindness. The author/illustrator reminds readers that heroes can appear in the most unlikely places, and that a debt owed to someone for saving one's life is a debt that lasts even after death.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely for children older than the usual picture-book audience. And, yes, it made me cry. Do obey Polacco's admonition at the end.

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia Polacco is always touching, and this is an affecting book. We happened to finish it mere days after hearing of the death of Pete Reed, the American volunteer medic who died in a Russian missile attack in Ukraine and who was part of our extended family. Pink and Say was a profound reminder that doing the right thing does not always result in a "happy ending," and that remembering and recording the past honors those who went before.

[Lynne Vanderveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read any or all of Patricia Polacco's books, get started and don't stop. These are wonderful books for children. They look like picture books for preschoolers and can be, but they are wonderful stories that readers and listeners of all ages will enjoy.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A children's picture book remembering Pinkus Aylee, a colored boy in the Union Army who saved another.

My Take
Oh, I just wanted to cry throughout the story...and unfortunately, I got my "wish" at the end.

It's a tale that has had many permutations throughout war, and this one is of two 15 year olds fighting for their own reasons.

Whew, Polacco doesn't pull any punches in this when Pinkus meets up with Say and gives it to him straight. Reasonable, but, whoa. A nice bit of history for the kids with some details they won't get in school, small facts with so many implications. It'll give y'all something to discuss, that's for sure! A touch of irony when Say reveals he can't read, and Pink promises to teach him.

I love how Polacco has Say appreciating Moe Moe, that he feels as if he's in heaven.

"You can call me Say...Everybody in my family calls me Say, not Sheldon. I 'spect you're my family now."

Polacco has a lot of family stories, and I'm glad she's chosen to share them with us.

The Story
It's two boys fighting in the Union Army with one rescuing the other. And then his mama, bless her, understanding that every body is different, that "bein' brave don't mean you ain't afeared".

The Characters
Pinkus Aylee is a runaway slave, who joined the Union Army---the Forty-eighth Colored---to fight against "the sickness", what he calls slavery. Moe Moe Bay is Pink's mother, staying on the old plantation although no one else is left. Kaylo is his dad.

Sheldon "Say" Curtis is in the Ohio Twenty-fourth.

The Cover
The cover is a beautiful picture in watercolors of Pinkus reading the Bible while Say is looking over his shoulders against a backdrop of old Aylee's burned-out plantation house.

The title is what the story is all about, Pink and Say.

[Demeyia Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of the best historical fiction picture books I have ever read. I wish I could give it more stars. I have not read a book in which the content was as informing and realistic as Polacco made it. As a person who typically does not get emotional when reading, this book will evoke some emotions.

Pink and Say tells the story of two young Union soldiers in the Civil War. Say is found by Pink wounded, left in a field. Say does the unthinkable and while wounded himself, decides to take Say with him home to his mother where he is slowly nursed back to health and becomes a part of Pink's family. As the two stay with Moe Moe Bay, Pink announces that the two would be leaving to continue fighting the war. Although Pink is ready to return to the battlefield, Say is not as eager. There is much more to this story, but why would I ruin it for you all :)

One of my most favorite aspects of the book were the illustrations. They tell a story by themselves. The addition of a personal story at the end of the book also is a great part of the book. What is this personal piece you may ask? You'll have to read the book of course! This book would be an easy read for the upper grades. The book would be awesome when discussing the civil war and how children their age and older had to leave home and fight the war. Reading or discussing the book may cause your students to be thankful for their own lives or relate it to how some students fight their own wars in and out of school. There are different lessons that can be created around this book. Some concepts they may need more clarification on such as the Civil War and the history around that but they will understand the overarching theme of of the book.

Through wonderful illustration and a beautifully written content, Patricia Polacco does an awesome job of discussing this tough topic of history through a story of friendship.

[Malbadeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm promoting this book to 5 starts after reading it for the 2nd time ever last night. I kind of either love or hate Patricia Palocco (especially after hearing her speak) but the 2 times i've read this book (aloud. once to students, once to my 8 year old son), i've had the same, certain emotional reaction that produces a particular physiological response that i'm typically not given to.
She spans a lot of emotions in this little book. the soldier that is eager to fit for his cause, the reluctant soldier, the sacrificial adult, and the obvious disgusting prejudice and disregard of personhood. Some of the pictures stand alone in ability to convey the reality of her words.
i'm not saying that a books ability to cause particular physiological responses is cause for 5 stars in and of itself but still...i've read it twice and twice it had that effect. i mean i cheese out so much at the end of this book that i even follow the mandate at the end to speak the name of the boy so as to not let him be forgotten.
I mean come on if you're good enough to make me follow directions, your good enough to get 5 stars (I'm sure Patricia will be able to sleep better tonight knowing that, I, a literacy coach at an elementary school in Oregon has promoted her book to 5 stars - she was really struggling before that).

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pink and Say is a heartwarming yet heart-wrenching story of two young boys who both are serving in the Union Army. Pink, the african-american character, stumbles across an injured Say. Pink takes Say back to his home (his master's house) where he and his mother help to nurse Say back to health. Say and Pink begin to build a relationship and they become friends and even consider each other to be family. After the murder of Moe Moe Bay, Pink's mother, by marauders (plunderers) the boys head back to rejoin their troops. Along their journey they are caught and imprisoned by the Confederate Army. They are forced to say their final goodbyes as they are transported to a Confederate camp and separated. Months later, at the end of the war, Say was released. He eventually married and had a family of his own and enjoyed his life until his death in 1924. Pink did not have the same fate, it was believed that he was hung within hours of his arrival at the camp. This book has a very serious undertone and takes a look at the racism and effects of war through the eyes of two young, scared, teenage boys.

[Cosette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. Well written. The one star is because I can't be reading books this vivid aloud to my 5 year old before bed.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ELA teacher of 10th grade has her students read this book as part of the units that build up to To Kill a Mockingbird. I was tutoring a home-bound student and sent the book home to her to read before we were to meet up, and she was disheartened and tear-stained when I arrived, apparently having just read it. I quietly read the book to myself while she was working on the quiz/worksheets or whatever, and I had to leave the room and sob in the bathroom so that I wouldn't disturb her. We both cried as we discussed the literary elements and thematic material, and I understood why the teacher chose to share this beautiful, heart-breaking book with high school students. It's utterly devastating and beautiful. I highly recommend it to at least 14 year-olds to adults, possibly younger, but I think that some Civil War understanding is pretty necessary.

Content: slavery (not white-washed); children joining the war, discrimination, brutality, racism, friendship, poverty, family, legacies.

[sophi · Rating 5 out of 5]

recc'd by dearest maggie

what the hell man. war stories always beat me up but goddamn??? traumatized for life, highly recommend

[Rachel Townley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my students every year when we study the Civil War and there is never a dry eye in the room at the end of the book.

[Meredith _Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

HISTORICAL FICTION

This is a wonderfully illustrated picture book that tells an account of the Civil War through the eyes of a soldier. Say was wounded in a field when Pink found him and carried him for many miles to his mother's house. His mother, Moe Moe Bay, was such a kind and loving woman. She treated Say like her own son and even comforted him when he admitted that he had been shot when he was running away from his troop. This moment in the story sheds light on how young the soldiers were who were fighting in the Civil War. It really shows how frightened these soldiers were and how their age may have played a role in that. Though I believe that no matter how old you are, fighting in a war is still a frightening experience. Say recovers and they planned to head out to join with a Union troop. Although they were both scared, they knew that this is a war in which they both needed to fight. On the day that they were to leave, marauders intruded their home and shot Moe Moe Bay right in front of the porch. The boys were captured and taken to a containment camp called Andersonville. It was said that Pink was hanged hours after he arrived and that Say survived the camp and was released after the war was over. This story is beautifully crafted. In such a racially charged time, it was very inspirational that Pink and Say could create a brother-like bond despite their obvious differences in race. I think that this book points to humanity in general. I want to believe that when people are in a time of need a natural instinct is to help them no matter their differences from you. I think that Pink and Say, especially Pink, really illustrate this aspect of humanity.

I think this would be a great book to read aloud to fourth or fifth graders. It could be done around Presidents' Day. I think that too often we wait until students are older to teach them some of the most important moments in our history. We teach young students about the Civil Rights movement but I feel like the Civil War isn't something that is too often seen. I would use this book to discuss the different elements of the Civil War, including the ages of soldiers, the races of soldiers, the devastating number of soldiers lost, and many other elements that are talked about in the book. Of course with subjects that are emotionally heavy, you want to make sure that students are mature enough to handle the content you present them with. But I think that this book would be a great way to introduce the Civil War to students.

[Philip Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the friendship and kindness that develops between a young African American soldier named Pink and a young White soldier named Say during the Civil War. Say is discovered badly wounded near a battlefield and is taken by Pink to his house in the countryside, where his Mother nurses the young soldier back to health. As he recovers, Say forms a bond with Pink and his Mother, and begins to understand what life is like as an African American family during this time. When Pink's Mother is killed by Marauders searching for the boys, they hesitantly rejoin the War and are captured soon after. Upon arriving at a Confederate camp, they are separated from each other and are destined for very different fates. Although they will never see each other again, the bond that was formed and the memories they have of each other will live on forever.
The pictures in this book do the text great justice in that the scenes are portrayed in a powerful and descriptive manner. Details such as the expressions on the faces of the characters, the meager possessions in the house, and the wound on Say's leg give the reader a vivid idea of what the characters were experiencing during this time. Colors are also used to bring out details such as the shade of the character's skin, the depiction of the homestead, and the vividness of the soldiers' uniform to easily capture the attention of the reader.
This book would be an excellent resource when talking about the concepts of racism, friendship, kindness, or the Civil War. Although the two characters come from very different backgrounds, they share a common interest in the war, allowing them to set aside racial differences and develop a powerful friendship. Due to the descriptiveness of the book and sadness experienced throughout the plot, I believe this book is best integrated into middle or upper elementary grades. The powerful message the book portrays is sure to leave readers with a clear understanding of how a true friendship can develop when outward appearances are set aside.

[Dawn Keys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Patricia Polacco historical fiction picture book deals with the period of the Civil War in the United States. It is written for 4th grade and up. The subject matter in this story deals with slavery, war, friendship, love, and death.

One thing that makes this story special is that it is a story that was handed down through oral storytelling from generation to generation. The story is based on real people. Patricia uses what she knows and her imagination to tell us this story. Patricia writes and illustrates the story of a two young Union soldiers that meet during the Civil War and form an interracial friendship. Pink, an African American boy, saves Say, a white boy from Ohio, and brings him to his mother to heal. They learn a lot about each other as they deal with marauders, death, and finally a Confederate prison camp.

Patricia does a good job painting a picture of what it would be like for two scared boys during a war that was fighting to end slavery. I think she does a pretty good job with her characters. Pink is the strong one, who is brave and has purpose. Say, learns from him and looks up to him. I do feel like Polacco does get a little sentimental with the character Moe Moe Bay, Pink's mother, but the reader can see that she loves her son. The author has a way of connecting her readers to the lives of the characters she writes about.

This story deals with a lot of tough topics, but it also gives hope to the reader through the power of friendship and perseverance. This picture book opens up a lot of discussion avenues and opportunities to talk about topics like war and slavery with your class. The author also shows the reader what the time period would be like. Her illustrations show what the dress would look like, and she writes using dialect of the time.

I would use this in connection with a lesson on the Civil War. Conducting literature discussion questions to connect this story to the past would be one way to teach with this story.

[Martha]

Pink and Say is a classic picture book based on a true story that was passed down through a family for generations. The pictures in the story and the storyline are written for a slightly older audience, even though it is a picture book. In the story, two boys (one black and one white) are 15 year old, Union soldiers. The white boy, Say, is wounded and is rescued by Pink, a black soldier. Pink then carries Say back to his black family where Pink's mother nurses Say back to health. Before the boys leave Pink's family, Pink's mother is killed and the boys are forced into prison. Then Pink is hanged and Say survives. As the story ends, there is is a sentimental scene that represents the boys friendship - Pink reads the Bible to his mom and to Say, and he tells Say that he once shook Abraham Lincoln's hand. Then the boys hold hands one last time so that Pink can "touch the hand that touched Mr. Lincoln." Moreover, this picture book is specifically brought to life through the pictures that represent friendship, regardless of race.
Ultimately, this book is a phenomenal read aloud for older elementary school students for many reasons. Firstly, the NC fifth grade social studies curriculum involves teaching students all about the Civil War and civil rights. Since students may be very unaware of civil rights and racial relations, this book brings to light how strong, yet controversial inter-racial relationships can be. At the same time, the book is so emotional and sentimental, so it is a great way to captivate kids and show them how a historical event like the Civil War has really impacted our country, socially and morally. The story also presents other talking points such as caring for people when they are hurt, even if they are different from you. I think these kinds of values in friendships are specifically important to teach fifth graders as well because this can be a challenging time for friendships and social relationships.

[Michelle Prata · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! This book almost had me in tears at the end. Such an amazing story that touches your heart.


The story is told from the perspective of someone who was told the story and it had been passed on through their family. The story is passed down by Say through his family because he was able to have a family and legacy, but Pink was not fortunate enough to have the fate as Say. The story is about a two young men named Pink and Say. Pink was a slave fighting in the 48th colored brigade and Say was a young white soldier fighting for the union army. Pink rescues Say who has been shot in the leg. The story follows their time together as Say gets better enough for them to both return to the war. The end of the story is very sad.

The book uses vernacular and language of the time which might make it hard to comprehend for lower elementary students. However I would read this book aloud to my upper elementary school classes. The artwork in this book is MAGNIFICENT! It adds so much to the story. I think my students would really appreciate the story of the book because it really shows the struggles faced during the war. Pink gives good descriptions of what is why like fighting in the war and why he was fighting to get rid of "the sickness". The ending of the book will show to the students there were so many young "colored soldiers" that didn't have the opportunity to grow old, have a family and leave a legacy. They fought for a greater cause, to rid their country of "the sickness" that plagued it.

I really really really loved this book and will definitely use it in my classroom.

[Nichole Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pink and Say is a heartfelt story about two young boys who befriend each other during the Civil War. Pink is a white boy who finds the injured Say, an African American boy, while both were fighting for the Union. The two boys have drastically different backgrounds, but are able to forge a friendship. Say has lived his entire life as a slave in the south, while Pink is from rural Ohio and lives with his mother. Pink brings Say back to his home, and his mother nurses Say back to health. Reluctantly, Pink and Say return to fight, but meet continually misfortune. Pink finds out that his beloved mother has been killed and Pink and Say end up getting captured by Confederate soilders. Pink is kiled, but say lives and escapes. He continues to fight for the sake of Pink and tries to keep his memory alive. Polacco uses a English dialect that is native to each of the boys. Her narration of the story tugs at the heart of its readers.

Students reading this book will be able to get a glimpse of life during this turmultous period of time, from the perspective of two young boys. This picture book for upper elementary students is a great book to use in a unit on the civil war. There are many things to be learned by reading this text. The lives of the soilders are accurately detailed in this account of the civil war. This book could be used as the main book in a novel or a supplement.