Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Bessie Coleman: Daring Stunt Pilot
Illustrator: Ken Steacy
Nonfiction Graphic Novel Series
For ages 7 to 9
Capstone Press, 2007 ISBN: 0736868518
Bessie Coleman was born into a poor African American family in 1892. She grew up in Texas and like so many others, her family had to struggle to survive. While her siblings were little Bessie had to stay home from school to take care of them while her mother went to work as a maid. Later she was able to go to school – when there wasn’t cotton to pick.
In 1919 Bessie was finally able to escape her life in Texas. She went to Chicago, where her two brothers lived. She got a job as a manicurist in a barber shop and a dream that she had had since she was a girl grew in her. Bessie wanted to fly a plane. More and more people were doing it. Women were doing it. And during World War I, a black man became a pilot in the French army.
Bessie became more determined than ever to learn how to fly and when she asked a friend of her for help he suggested that she should go to France where people were more open minded about women flying. And, on June 15th, 1921 Bessie became the first black woman to get an international flying license.
In this very moving and inspirational story Trina Robbins shows her readers how Bessie Coleman courageously overcame prejudice and racism to fulfill a dream that she cared deeply about. The well written and carefully presented text is set in a graphic novel format, which is sure to appeal to readers who are attracted to books that are rich in illustrations.
