Clifton L. TaulbertRecensioni

This book is not the story of Freemount and the years when blacks owned the land. It is the story of a mostly landless people, the coloreds, who lived in Glen Allan and other small southern towns during the last years of segregation. I have written it to recall a treasure more valuable and enduring than land ownership. It is the treasure that stood out in my colored childhood when there was so little else, and it has been a source of strength to me in all the years since then. That treasure is the nourishing love that came to me from my extended family of aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, neighbors, and friends... They are the reason I want today's world to remember an era that in our haste we might mistakenly forget—that era when we were called colored.

Although I understand that the author was looking back with fondness at his childhood and the community that raised him, I was uncomfortable with his acceptance of, and almost nostalgia for, a time when blacks were oppressed. His pride on the day he is first able to pick 200 lbs. of cotton, his happiness at having two white boys as almost-friends, and his love for his Poppa as he waits at a stop sign until all the white drivers have gone first were all scenes that made me cringe. But the author's point, that he was happy despite segregation, has more to do with the resilience of his family and community than with acceptance of bad treatment. Raised first by his grandfather and then his great-aunt, his childhood was the epitome of "it takes a village." His portrayals of the people in his past are compassionate and generous, and he only has kind things to say, which is in itself a reflection of how he was raised. An interesting glimpse into the 1950s American South for this Northern reader.

Little Cliff, an African American boy is raised by his grandparents in the deep South in the 1950’s and finds himself intrigued by the frigid cold of the Arctic during primary school instruction. Childlike verbiage and traditional watercolor illustrations create a storyline rooted in support and love for Little Cliff as he explores the unfamiliar concepts of “The Cold Place.”

Little Cliff, the main character in Little Cliff and the Cold Place - a children’s story written in 3rd person, learns about the Arctic in his first-grade classroom. Prior to this knowledge, he did not realize there was a land so far away and different than his home in Mississippi. Little Cliff is determined to go to the Arctic, but his Poppa Joe explains how it is too far. With the help of Poppa Joe and his friends, they are able to create an understanding and show Little Cliff the arctic through imagery and nostalgic storytelling without leaving Mississippi.

Charming story about little boy and patriarchal figures taking time to share stories from the past about Alaska. Read it slowly and drink in the rich illustrations.

Appropriate for Grades PreK-3rd

Little Cliff's First Day of School is a relatable story about Cliff being apprehensive about starting school for the first time.
As a mentor text, I feel like this book would be a good way of explaining dialogue and how to write it. There are a lot of quoted lines that the characters of the book say, and this could be a good example of how to use it. Also, there is plenty of punctuation to demonstrate how to properly use it in a story.
I feel like the emotion of being nervous over the start of school is relatable because even as an adult if I am starting something new, I am usually apprehensive and fearful of a new beginning. And the fear of starting school would be a familiar emotion with young readers, and could really help show that what they feel is common. But like what is shown in the story, our fear of the unknown is usually worse than the actual situation. Cliff was saying goodbye to everything he enjoyed at home because he thought all he could do now is work. When he gets to school, he sees all of his friends and some family and realizes there is fun to be had at school. The illustrations in Little Cliff's First Day of School are really beautiful and expressive, really helping us see Cliff's point of view. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it.

In this book Cliff is suffering the uncertainty of leaving the comfort of home to go off to school. He has many fears of how school hard but soon realizes it's going to be awesome. This would be a very good book for Pre-K and kindergarten first days.

a good book to read

Short book, almost a pamphlet, of African American reflections of valued ways of the past that Taulbert claims to keep small communities strong. I read this in 1 1/2 hours, so I liked that. Not many short books can be so well written and stay on point. No heavy thinking here just reflections on living in the segregated south (Mississippi Delta) and hearing tales of slave times from elders who wanted to survive and prosper despite the horrible ages past. He says these are essential to taking personal care of each other and promoting shared experiences. Hope, responsibility, dependability, high expectations, a nurturing attitude, friendship, brotherhood, and courage. Seems like it would be good for classroom reading either in high school or university. Glad I picked this up.

Another great book for a child's very first day of school. Great illustrator!

First of all great illustrations. I love how animated the illustrator was able to make Cliff's face. This book takes place in Mississippi and follows Cliff along while he is trying to complete a task for his grandmother. While everyone in the neighborhood tries to help him along his way. I think that Cliff found out a lot more about the world having taken the advise of all the people in the neighborhood.

I liked this book for a few reasons. The story is very personal and traditional. It is about a family who uses a magic skillet to cook candied sweet potatoes. This specific tradition makes the story unique and interesting. This is a tradition that other readers could relate to. I liked the specific and detailed sentences like, “While he savored the aroma of mingled vanilla and nutmeg, Little Cliff watched as Mama Pearl took her large knife and cut off big chunks of the special butter.” The author uses adjectives and verbs that make sentences more clear and detailed. I also liked the style of illustrations. The illustrations are colorful and portrays a calm mood. The big idea is that food can bring people together.

Clifton L. Taulbert returns to the world of his childhood in this, his third autobiographical picture-book - the first two being Little Cliff and the Porch People and Little Cliff's First Day of School - focusing on an incident involving his desire to visit the Arctic, after a particularly vivid geography lesson in school. Convinced that his Poppa Joe will be able to drive him to this strange land, where the children wear furs, and live in houses made of ice, Little Cliff instead learns a little bit about distance, the scale of maps, and - when he and Poppa Joe visit his great-grandfather's friend, Mr. Jacob Goldstein - about traveling to far places. But the best is yet to come, as Poppa Joe sets up a little "fishing trip" in a very cold locale!

As with the first two Little Cliff books, I enjoyed the depiction of family love and warmth to be found in Little Cliff and the Cold Place, as well as the sense of community. This title is the first of the three in which we see someone outside the tight-knit African-American world of Glen Allan, Mississippi - in this case, Jewish Mr. Goldstein, depicted wearing a yarmulke, in E.B. Lewis' illustrations. Given recent tensions between the wider African-American and Jewish communities here in the USA, I was particularly happy to see this depiction of friendship - an important reminder of the reality of a few decades ago. I also appreciated the evident loving care Little Cliff's Mama Pearl and Poppa Joe take of him, trying, to the best of their ability, to ensure that he has the experiences he wants and needs. All in all, this was just a heartwarming family tale, and is highly recommended to all!

This second of three autobiographical picture-books - preceded by Little Cliff and the Porch People, followed by Little Cliff and the Cold Place - set in the Mississippi Delta of the 1950s, addresses itself to a classic childhood experience: the first day of school, and the complicated (and often negative) feelings that it evokes in young children, as they approach it. Convinced that going to school will mean saying goodbye to all his toys, to all fun and play, Little Cliff tries to resist the process, to resist his loving great-grandparents. But Poppa Joe and Mama Pearl - thrilled and proud, as the big day approaches - are just as determined that he attend...

As with Little Cliff and the Porch People, I really enjoyed the sense of community that Taulbert evokes, particularly as this time the community involved other children! Little Cliff's First Day of School is set in a specific time and place, and offers a portrait of a specific community, but it also has relevance for any child who has felt reluctant to attend school. I appreciated the depiction of Mama Pearl and Poppa Joe's relationship with Little Cliff here, as it was both loving and strict, and felt (based upon my own observations, growing up, of my African-American friends' families) very genuine. All in all, an appealing follow-up to the first Little Cliff book, one I would recommend to anyone looking for back-to-school titles, particularly those with a Southern, African-American sensibility!

Memoirist and motivational speaker Clifton L. Taulbert harkens back to the world of his childhood in this, the first of three autobiographical picture-books (the subsequent titles are Little Cliff's First Day of School and Little Cliff and the Cold Place), painting a loving portrait of an African-American community in the Mississippi Delta of the 1950s. Little Cliff, who lives with his great-grandmother and great-grandfather - Mama Pearl and Poppa Joe - is dispatched on an important errand, sent to fetch some of Miz Callie's special butter for his grandmother's candied sweet potatoes. But how can he hurry, as instructed to do, when Poppa Joe has always impressed upon him the importance of respecting and obeying his elders, who all seem to want to speak to him...?

I finished Little Cliff and the Porch People with a deep sense of satisfaction, coming away with the sensation that I had been visiting with Little Cliff, his family, and his close-knit community. I loved the gentle feeling of the tale, the beautiful manner in which E.B. Lewis evoked the light-filled world of the Mississippi Delta in his watercolor illustrations, and the way that enchantment - the special butter, the magical skillet - found its way into the everyday. A lovely tribute, both to a specific childhood, and to a particular time and place, this was a very special book - one I thank my goodreads friend Wilhelimna for recommending!

A moving memoir. Cliff is suffering the uncertainty of leaving the comforts and pleasures of home to go off to school. Although his loving and thoughtful great-grandparents do their best to prepare and reassure him, he is adamant that school will be all work and no play. Eventually Cliff and his Mama Pearl arrive at school and Cliff delights in his discovery while Mama Pearl becomes teary eyed and sentimental.½

I've had this book for years and just got around to reading it and I have to say, I was honestly surprised.

I found this book to be well written, full of detail and rich in history. Many of the things written in here I had never heard of, they were never taught in school or shown on the t.v. specials and I'm more than happy that I was able to read this book, look at the images and take away a piece of history that has been too long ignored yet not forgotten.

When We Were Colored doesn't focus on the Civil Rights movements like most history based stories do. Instead in focuses on what Black Americans did during their day to day lives, how they lived in spite of all that was going on around.

When We Were Colored is a positive book about the history of Black Americans that deserves to be acknowledge and placed in our history books as simply part of our American history-nothing more and nothing less.

This book tells a story about a little boy named Cliff that goes to pick up something for his grandmother on his very first adventure alone.

Go to www.cliftontaulbert.com to find information about the author as well as training and growth opportunities.

Little Cliff’s great grandmother sends him on a mission to get some of Miz Callie’s special butter for her candied sweet potatoes. On the way to Miz Callie’s house Little Cliff is stopped by every neighbor. The neighbors all give Little Cliff some suggestion or ingredient for the candied sweet potatoes. Th isstory is set in the old style deep south. The pictures are very colorful and they make this story have a calm or warm feeling. There is a great amount of synergy between the pictures and text. Without the pictures the story would not be the same. Good for grades 2-3.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age appropriateness: Primary, Intermediate

Media: watercolors

Review: This is a good example of realistic fiction because this Little Cliff learns about the Arctic and wants to experience going there for himself. This is something any child would love to do, but is not always possible at the time. Poppa Joe tries to create a cold arctic experience with Little Cliff that they can enjoy together.

I'll start my list with the following:

1. Eight Habits of the Heart - Clifton Taulbert.

I gave this book 4 stars because he eloquently explained something in 113 pages that I have been trying to understand for a long time. He says that community building occurs when people follow 8 habits of the heart: Nurturing Attitude, Responsibility, Dependability, Friendship, Brotherhood, High Expectations, Courage, and Hope.

I love quotes and this book has a lot of great quotes....
"...we still face a vast array of challenges to community that cannot be overcome by technological innovations. Even the Internet, which facilitates communication of all kinds, can be used either as bridge that brings us together or as a weapon that tears us apart....In a world where progress is measured in bits and bytes, advanced technology will never be able to replace the need for good minds, strong wills, and unselfish unhearts."

I highly recommend this book.

Written by Taulbert, Clifton L. and illustrated by Lewis, E.B. Little Cliff and the Porch People is a great book. Little Cliff’s great grandmother sends him on a mission to get some of Miz Callie’s special butter for her candied sweet potatoes. On the way to Miz Callie’s house Little Cliff is stopped by every neighbor. The neighbors all give Little Cliff some suggestion or ingredient for the candied sweet potatoes. The story is set in the old style deep south. E.B. Lewis’ water color paintings are great. They are colorful and light adding a calm or warm feeling to the story. There is a great amount of synergy between the pictures and text. Without the pictures the story would not be the same.

a good book to read