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Working Cotton
Shelan, the young child of two migrant workers, follows her parents into the fields to help them pick cotton during a long day of work, in a dramatically illustrated study of migrant family life. By the author of Dessa Rose.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 1992
About the author
Sherley Anne Williams
10 books37 followersSherley Anne Williams (August 25, 1944 – July 6, 1999) was an African-American poet, novelist, professor, and social critic. Many of her works tell stories about her life in the African-American community.
Williams was born in Bakersfield, California. When she was little her family picked cotton in order to get money. At the age of eight her father died of tuberculosis and when she was sixteen her mother died. She graduated from Thomas Alva Edison High School in Fresno California in 1962. In 1966 she earned her bachelor's degree in English at what is now California State University at Fresno and she received her master's degree at Brown University in 1972. The following year (1973) she became a professor of English Literature at the University of California at San Diego. She traveled to Ghana under a 1984 Fulbright grant. Her works include collections of poetry such as The Peacock Poems (1975), the novel Dessa Rose (1986), and two picture books. She also published the groundbreaking work Give Birth to Brightness: A Thematic Study of Neo-Black Literature in 1972.
(from Wikipedia)
Williams was born in Bakersfield, California. When she was little her family picked cotton in order to get money. At the age of eight her father died of tuberculosis and when she was sixteen her mother died. She graduated from Thomas Alva Edison High School in Fresno California in 1962. In 1966 she earned her bachelor's degree in English at what is now California State University at Fresno and she received her master's degree at Brown University in 1972. The following year (1973) she became a professor of English Literature at the University of California at San Diego. She traveled to Ghana under a 1984 Fulbright grant. Her works include collections of poetry such as The Peacock Poems (1975), the novel Dessa Rose (1986), and two picture books. She also published the groundbreaking work Give Birth to Brightness: A Thematic Study of Neo-Black Literature in 1972.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
May 25, 2018
With beauty and a sense of both pain and pleasure, Sherley Anne Williams describes the typical backbreaking day of a family of African American iterant migrant farm workers (who are harvesting cotton). Narrator Shelan (who is one of the children, and all of the children, except for baby Leanne, must in fact help with the harvesting) describes how the whole family arrives before dawn and labours until nightfall to fill their sacks with cotton, with fluffy white clouds that might smell like morning and sweetness but still require much toil and effort to collect, to glean. Both poetic and at times also realistically harsh, Shelan’s narration is entirely presented in her dialect, her family’s vernacular, and although especially the phrasing and the verb endings (or rather, the lack thereof) may indeed require careful reading (for not only children, but potentially also for adults reading Working Cotton with or to children), this most definitely and appreciatively adds necessary authenticity and colour, as a difficult way of life is depicted.
However, Sherley Ann Williams also does in not in any way pass a negative judgment here, as while the work in the cotton field is difficult and arduous, her characters sing and play, are conscious of the beauty around them and are above all proud of a job well-done (that the father can fill his sacks not only in record time, but that there is so much harvested cotton it takes a long time to empty into the waiting trailer). Carol M. Byard’s accompanying acrylic paintings capture not only the beauty of the land but also the struggle and intensity of manual farm work (clearly demonstrating and showing, for example, that hand picking cotton all day is, indeed, hot and sweaty work). And while some readers might well object to the mere concept of African Americans being depicted as picking cotton in a picture book geared towards younger children, Shelan’s family has obviously embraced this way of life, doing what it takes to make ends meet, to earn a wage. Recommended, although personally, I sure would appreciate (and even rather require) a bit more in the author’s note with regard to manual farm labour and farming tasks in a general and pan-global sense, as this is really an international given and issue (for example, in many parts of Southern Germany and Austria, children actually still get school holidays during the fall potato harvest, as all hands are required on family farms, and thus Sherley Ann Williams' supplemental note, while definitely evocative, important and educational is also for me rather too limited, and not nearly international enough in scope).
However, Sherley Ann Williams also does in not in any way pass a negative judgment here, as while the work in the cotton field is difficult and arduous, her characters sing and play, are conscious of the beauty around them and are above all proud of a job well-done (that the father can fill his sacks not only in record time, but that there is so much harvested cotton it takes a long time to empty into the waiting trailer). Carol M. Byard’s accompanying acrylic paintings capture not only the beauty of the land but also the struggle and intensity of manual farm work (clearly demonstrating and showing, for example, that hand picking cotton all day is, indeed, hot and sweaty work). And while some readers might well object to the mere concept of African Americans being depicted as picking cotton in a picture book geared towards younger children, Shelan’s family has obviously embraced this way of life, doing what it takes to make ends meet, to earn a wage. Recommended, although personally, I sure would appreciate (and even rather require) a bit more in the author’s note with regard to manual farm labour and farming tasks in a general and pan-global sense, as this is really an international given and issue (for example, in many parts of Southern Germany and Austria, children actually still get school holidays during the fall potato harvest, as all hands are required on family farms, and thus Sherley Ann Williams' supplemental note, while definitely evocative, important and educational is also for me rather too limited, and not nearly international enough in scope).
June 17, 2019
This is a story of one girls family and a day in the life of picking cotton. They get to the fields before the sun comes up and then they pick cotton all day long until the sun goes down. They stop for lunch and that is all. That sounds like a tough day to me.
The artwork is acrylic paintings and it is a little blurry, but it does the job of getting the hot sunny days and the endless cotton rows across to the reader. The book transports one into a difficult way of life. We do see the beauty of the day through the eyes of the children. They notice the sky and the clouds and the fact that in a day you spend working all day in the fields, there is still beauty to be had. It's lovely, I think.
The niece couldn’t believe that people would work all day long like that. I told her it happens in many places in this world. She was shocked. She said this was a sad story. The nephew also thought this was a sad story. There was nothing fun about it. I told him that I agreed, there was nothing fun about it. The niece gave this 3 stars and the nephew gave this 2 stars.
The artwork is acrylic paintings and it is a little blurry, but it does the job of getting the hot sunny days and the endless cotton rows across to the reader. The book transports one into a difficult way of life. We do see the beauty of the day through the eyes of the children. They notice the sky and the clouds and the fact that in a day you spend working all day in the fields, there is still beauty to be had. It's lovely, I think.
The niece couldn’t believe that people would work all day long like that. I told her it happens in many places in this world. She was shocked. She said this was a sad story. The nephew also thought this was a sad story. There was nothing fun about it. I told him that I agreed, there was nothing fun about it. The niece gave this 3 stars and the nephew gave this 2 stars.
July 19, 2010
When I first saw this book, I thought it was going to be about slavery. The first pages include pictures of school buses which really threw me off. This is a great way to show this kind of culture to students who might judge this book by its cover as well. The language might be hard to understand for some young children, but this also relates back to culture. This book could be read in a lesson involving Esperanza Rising and the subject of migrant farm workers especially in California.
February 7, 2017
Working Cotton written by Sherley Anne Williams and illustrated by Carole Byard, tells the story of a young african american girl named Shelan who picks cotton in the fields with her parents and sisters. Shelan arrives on a bus with her family to pick cotton and wonders if when she grows up she will be able to pick even more cotton like her sisters. The author depicts her own experiences in childhood picking the cotton fields. The Author's note says, "Our shame as a nation is not that so many children work the fields but that so few of them have other options, that the life chances of too many are defined by the cycle of the seasons."
I give this book a four star rating mainly because it tells a personal narrative that is commonly overlooked by rowdier urban dwellers (like myself) who are uneducated on lower economic agricultural living situations.
"Daddy say cotton blossoms like any growing thing, only sometime cotton don't know when it be spring. Cotton flower this late in the year bound to bring us luck." (n.p.) This quote emphasizes that Shelan's living is dependent upon climate and serving the system in such a way that it takes away from her opportunity and limits her access to other possibilities because of her work.
I noticed the beautiful watercolor illustrations in this story conveyed a situation that feels very somber, into something full of pride and resilience. Shelan wants to pick more cotton as quickly and proficiently as her daddy and she sees greatness in him. This is accentuated in the glorious array of vibrant colors used to depict the people and nature. This narrative provokes passion for building equal opportunities for education, career advancement, and overall survival for people who may feel trapped in predetermined lifestyles. This book is about awareness of a community that connects the threads of America and yet are underpaid, under appreciated, and underrepresented.
This is not from my own personal story, but this book reminded me of Cesar Chavez and his si se puede fight for hispanic union workers to get equal pay for working the fields. He succeeded in his mission after a lifetime of peaceful boycotting and fasting but it was only possible because he used his voice to communicate social justice demands. This story embodies a similar authority to educate readers on the realities of a very real community of people.
The classroom connection for this book is to bring awareness to a community of working individuals as a reality of contemporary America, to not view it as a narrative from a distant past that has no relevance in political ideas and conversations today. Whether a child would understand the political and social issues behind this narrative, it is clear that it exposes them to a different type of lifestyle and accomplishes the task of diversification of personal narrative.
I give this book a four star rating mainly because it tells a personal narrative that is commonly overlooked by rowdier urban dwellers (like myself) who are uneducated on lower economic agricultural living situations.
"Daddy say cotton blossoms like any growing thing, only sometime cotton don't know when it be spring. Cotton flower this late in the year bound to bring us luck." (n.p.) This quote emphasizes that Shelan's living is dependent upon climate and serving the system in such a way that it takes away from her opportunity and limits her access to other possibilities because of her work.
I noticed the beautiful watercolor illustrations in this story conveyed a situation that feels very somber, into something full of pride and resilience. Shelan wants to pick more cotton as quickly and proficiently as her daddy and she sees greatness in him. This is accentuated in the glorious array of vibrant colors used to depict the people and nature. This narrative provokes passion for building equal opportunities for education, career advancement, and overall survival for people who may feel trapped in predetermined lifestyles. This book is about awareness of a community that connects the threads of America and yet are underpaid, under appreciated, and underrepresented.
This is not from my own personal story, but this book reminded me of Cesar Chavez and his si se puede fight for hispanic union workers to get equal pay for working the fields. He succeeded in his mission after a lifetime of peaceful boycotting and fasting but it was only possible because he used his voice to communicate social justice demands. This story embodies a similar authority to educate readers on the realities of a very real community of people.
The classroom connection for this book is to bring awareness to a community of working individuals as a reality of contemporary America, to not view it as a narrative from a distant past that has no relevance in political ideas and conversations today. Whether a child would understand the political and social issues behind this narrative, it is clear that it exposes them to a different type of lifestyle and accomplishes the task of diversification of personal narrative.
March 8, 2016
A standalone picture book that reflects Williams' early life as a child in the cotton fields in Fresno. In 1993, Working Cotton won the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator Honor. And I thoroughly understand why!
My Take
There's a rhythmic quality to Williams' words as she remembers her childhood, as she pulls you in with that dreamy quality, in to Shelan's world, to show you what a day in the fields was like. The sense of competition between the sisters, that need to be like each other and yet not. Especially, *laughing*, as Shelan wishes to both grow up and be young enough to sit at the end of the row and watch the baby.
The manner in which Williams manipulates the grammar and sentence structure is another way to pull you in and indicates Shelan's educational level.
I know Byard's illustrations are in acrylics — it says so in the front of the book! But there's a feel of pastels about these intense colors, the soft smudgy feel of the graphics that make you feel the seriousness of it as well as that dreamy feel of Williams' memories.
It's a beautifully illustrated and written story of a day in the life of a family picking cotton.
The Story
It's cold that early in the morning, although the day will heat up fast enough, Shelan notes.
I'm growing up, but not enough yet to have my own sack while Daddy picks cotton so fast that you never see him do it while Mamma sings to while the day away.
The Characters
Shelan is the young girl, the storyteller; her sisters include Ruise, Jesmarie, and baby Leanne. Mamma and Daddy are the kind of people who should have children. God knows, that's rare enough!
The Cover and Title
The cover has an Impressionist feel to it with its hazy cotton, blue summer sky, and Shelan in her turquoise green dress and brown jacket. The title is in a white serif font with an orange outline.
The title is what the day is all about, Working Cotton.
My Take
There's a rhythmic quality to Williams' words as she remembers her childhood, as she pulls you in with that dreamy quality, in to Shelan's world, to show you what a day in the fields was like. The sense of competition between the sisters, that need to be like each other and yet not. Especially, *laughing*, as Shelan wishes to both grow up and be young enough to sit at the end of the row and watch the baby.
The manner in which Williams manipulates the grammar and sentence structure is another way to pull you in and indicates Shelan's educational level.
I know Byard's illustrations are in acrylics — it says so in the front of the book! But there's a feel of pastels about these intense colors, the soft smudgy feel of the graphics that make you feel the seriousness of it as well as that dreamy feel of Williams' memories.
It's a beautifully illustrated and written story of a day in the life of a family picking cotton.
The Story
It's cold that early in the morning, although the day will heat up fast enough, Shelan notes.
I'm growing up, but not enough yet to have my own sack while Daddy picks cotton so fast that you never see him do it while Mamma sings to while the day away.
The Characters
Shelan is the young girl, the storyteller; her sisters include Ruise, Jesmarie, and baby Leanne. Mamma and Daddy are the kind of people who should have children. God knows, that's rare enough!
The Cover and Title
The cover has an Impressionist feel to it with its hazy cotton, blue summer sky, and Shelan in her turquoise green dress and brown jacket. The title is in a white serif font with an orange outline.
The title is what the day is all about, Working Cotton.
November 10, 2022
A story about a working family in the South around the 70's. Written in first person, with a southern accent, to make it more life like.
Ages: 5 - 10
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
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Ages: 5 - 10
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
November 12, 2016
Good story, although I wondered why the little girl didn't have dreams of leaving the cotton fields for something better. I liked the impressionistic acrylic paintings, but not my favorite style of art.
July 31, 2017
Caldecott Honor. Picking cotton by hand from the perspective of a migrant worker child working with her family. Text is okay. Art is stunning, vivid and big. It's a long day and it's captured well enough here to make you tired.
November 20, 2016
A beautiful story of a young girl who works the field, picking cotton with her family. They are migrant workers.
September 9, 2017
I hated the way the child was speaking, I felt offended being an African American.
Only thing that saved this book was the beautiful illustrations.
Not exactly sure what the point of the book was.
Only thing that saved this book was the beautiful illustrations.
Not exactly sure what the point of the book was.
February 18, 2021
A family arrives at the cotton field before the sun is up, and all day they work, picking cotton. Only when it is dark does the family climb aboard the bus and go home.
The story, related by one of the children in the family, beautifully tells the hard work children and their parents put in to pick the cotton.
The story, related by one of the children in the family, beautifully tells the hard work children and their parents put in to pick the cotton.
October 16, 2016
Synopsis:
In this beautifully crafted book, a story is told from the perspective of a young slave girl. She tells about one day in her life which begins with a cold morning driving out to the cotton fields before the sun has risen and ends after the sun has set. Because it is written from this young girl’s perspective, the dialogue reflects the time. The grammar is a little off and the language is somewhat broken because that is how she learned to speak. The young girl named Shelan describes the different work that is done by her mom, dad and siblings noting that she if she were bigger like her sisters she could pick more cotton. It is simple in it’s story and yet so incredibly powerful because of how different this little girl’s childhood was compared to my own.
Teaching Connection:
I would recommend this book for independent reading for grades 1st-3rd but I would recommend it as a read aloud for grades 1st-5th because of the subject matter. This book would be a great segway into talking and learning about the lives of slaves. It can start great conversation about the education or moreso the lack thereof that was offered to slaves. Break off students into groups and have them talk about what daily life looks like for them. Have them represent that in some way - writing, drawing, etc. and then have them research what the lives of slaves were like and then come back and share with the class. This gives them the chance to compare and contrast. Or maybe this book could be an opener for a lesson on slavery or it could connect to a video about slavery. There are so many ways to go with this as a teacher. But don’t get overwhelmed by those options, go somewhere with it! It’s so good!
Why it’s a WOW book:
First of all, the art in this book is breathtaking. The sunset and sunrise are vibrant and alive and even the detail of the fluffy cotton can almost be felt. The reflection of the sunset on the cotton is seen, the beads of sweat running down faces is seen, it all is just so gorgeous! I also think it’s a WOW book because it’s not just telling about a slave girl and her family from an outsider's perspective. No, we are in the mind of Shelan. We feel her exhaustion and sadness. We feel that there is not much joy in her life and there is a hopelessness that is not discussed. As students read this they will hopefully be able to pick up on the language difference or maybe even identify with it if they are an emergent bilingual. This book can spark questions and thinking about why the way Shelan speaks is differently. Would highly recommend this book.
In this beautifully crafted book, a story is told from the perspective of a young slave girl. She tells about one day in her life which begins with a cold morning driving out to the cotton fields before the sun has risen and ends after the sun has set. Because it is written from this young girl’s perspective, the dialogue reflects the time. The grammar is a little off and the language is somewhat broken because that is how she learned to speak. The young girl named Shelan describes the different work that is done by her mom, dad and siblings noting that she if she were bigger like her sisters she could pick more cotton. It is simple in it’s story and yet so incredibly powerful because of how different this little girl’s childhood was compared to my own.
Teaching Connection:
I would recommend this book for independent reading for grades 1st-3rd but I would recommend it as a read aloud for grades 1st-5th because of the subject matter. This book would be a great segway into talking and learning about the lives of slaves. It can start great conversation about the education or moreso the lack thereof that was offered to slaves. Break off students into groups and have them talk about what daily life looks like for them. Have them represent that in some way - writing, drawing, etc. and then have them research what the lives of slaves were like and then come back and share with the class. This gives them the chance to compare and contrast. Or maybe this book could be an opener for a lesson on slavery or it could connect to a video about slavery. There are so many ways to go with this as a teacher. But don’t get overwhelmed by those options, go somewhere with it! It’s so good!
Why it’s a WOW book:
First of all, the art in this book is breathtaking. The sunset and sunrise are vibrant and alive and even the detail of the fluffy cotton can almost be felt. The reflection of the sunset on the cotton is seen, the beads of sweat running down faces is seen, it all is just so gorgeous! I also think it’s a WOW book because it’s not just telling about a slave girl and her family from an outsider's perspective. No, we are in the mind of Shelan. We feel her exhaustion and sadness. We feel that there is not much joy in her life and there is a hopelessness that is not discussed. As students read this they will hopefully be able to pick up on the language difference or maybe even identify with it if they are an emergent bilingual. This book can spark questions and thinking about why the way Shelan speaks is differently. Would highly recommend this book.
April 2, 2017
When first seeing the cover page of this book it made me really sad. Having to see a little african american girl holding cotton. Knowing this was a true reality for some not so long ago. While reading you find out Sherlay the little girl on the cover wakes up every morning dawn till dusk that she’s goes picking with her family. Sherlay wasn’t going to school , she was picking cotton like the others. Her dad was the top cotton picker, they couldn’t believe how much his hands could pick in a day. And with their momma would try to keep up but it hard having their little girl Leana on her side.
In this book I loved the theme of it. Even though its a rough time that was going on during this time period it made me think how positive they were. For example her Sherlay daddy said, “We will find hope in this from picking cotton.” That job was so demanding getting up before the sun rose and getting off when the sun was gone.They all stayed positive not complaining and working hard to survive. I also enjoyed the tone of this book., i actually had a story teller of an african american older woman and she had the right tone for it. When having a black folk tell this story it just really helped out the text for the book.
While reading you notice the color and detail that was put into each of the pages. It is not a color popping energetic page. It has more of a darker and sad feeling to it. For example on the page with her dad hold up all his cotton in the darkened says . Also with the shape all the pages look the same. In the middle is where the characters take place and at the bottom is the font in the same size of every page. The elements in these pages help out a lot when trying to figure out the scene and setting of the story. The theme is a very dead give away with the cover front and the tone you could tell it took place in the 1940’s.
All in all this book was great. The book was very well constructed together. It brought back a true time in history. Working from dawn till dusk. But also remembering to be thankful for the life you have an be positive even if its not the best situation. The dad really made that a big things as his trait for character , which was a good reminder for life. Historical Fiction genre is a vey big thing for this book all of these are true events that were happening to African Americans and their family early on in life. Having to pick cotton and not being able to go to school to be able to support your family.
In this book I loved the theme of it. Even though its a rough time that was going on during this time period it made me think how positive they were. For example her Sherlay daddy said, “We will find hope in this from picking cotton.” That job was so demanding getting up before the sun rose and getting off when the sun was gone.They all stayed positive not complaining and working hard to survive. I also enjoyed the tone of this book., i actually had a story teller of an african american older woman and she had the right tone for it. When having a black folk tell this story it just really helped out the text for the book.
While reading you notice the color and detail that was put into each of the pages. It is not a color popping energetic page. It has more of a darker and sad feeling to it. For example on the page with her dad hold up all his cotton in the darkened says . Also with the shape all the pages look the same. In the middle is where the characters take place and at the bottom is the font in the same size of every page. The elements in these pages help out a lot when trying to figure out the scene and setting of the story. The theme is a very dead give away with the cover front and the tone you could tell it took place in the 1940’s.
All in all this book was great. The book was very well constructed together. It brought back a true time in history. Working from dawn till dusk. But also remembering to be thankful for the life you have an be positive even if its not the best situation. The dad really made that a big things as his trait for character , which was a good reminder for life. Historical Fiction genre is a vey big thing for this book all of these are true events that were happening to African Americans and their family early on in life. Having to pick cotton and not being able to go to school to be able to support your family.
October 30, 2016
Genre: MultiCulture
Format: Picture
Awards: Caldecott Medal
Summary: This book gives a first hand account of a little girl who works everyday side by side with her siblings and parents in a cotton field. It is eye opening that so many children work in these types of conditions with minimum education, food, minimum wage, and without a choice to do anything else. It's heart wrenching and urges the reader to stand up for those who don't have a voice.
Critique: I wasn't a fan of the illustrations. I felt like the words on the pages were so strong but the illustrations didn't quite reflect that. The story line was pure, strong, and emotionally drawing. It had me wishing I could go serve this family and provide for them the things they were working so hard to have.
Teaching Prompts: I would ask my students if they know anything about cotton. I would ask them to list the things we use everyday that was made from cotton. I would then pull up a picture of a cotton field and explain the family in our story was forced to work in these fields from sun up to sun down just so they could survive. I would ask them to tell me how it would make them feel if they had to working this kind of field with their whole family. I would also ask them to discuss with me the types of obstacles these workers would face on hot days, raining days, and very cold days. I would ask them to also discuss obstacles of having small children in this condition. Where do you think they got food? DO you think they had a family fun Friday? Do you think they could 'call in' if they were sick?
Craft Elements: Students would write a story as if they were a child working in the field. They would talk about their feelings, obstacles, thankfulness and if they would ever try to escape or if they would remain faithful to their family.
Format: Picture
Awards: Caldecott Medal
Summary: This book gives a first hand account of a little girl who works everyday side by side with her siblings and parents in a cotton field. It is eye opening that so many children work in these types of conditions with minimum education, food, minimum wage, and without a choice to do anything else. It's heart wrenching and urges the reader to stand up for those who don't have a voice.
Critique: I wasn't a fan of the illustrations. I felt like the words on the pages were so strong but the illustrations didn't quite reflect that. The story line was pure, strong, and emotionally drawing. It had me wishing I could go serve this family and provide for them the things they were working so hard to have.
Teaching Prompts: I would ask my students if they know anything about cotton. I would ask them to list the things we use everyday that was made from cotton. I would then pull up a picture of a cotton field and explain the family in our story was forced to work in these fields from sun up to sun down just so they could survive. I would ask them to tell me how it would make them feel if they had to working this kind of field with their whole family. I would also ask them to discuss with me the types of obstacles these workers would face on hot days, raining days, and very cold days. I would ask them to also discuss obstacles of having small children in this condition. Where do you think they got food? DO you think they had a family fun Friday? Do you think they could 'call in' if they were sick?
Craft Elements: Students would write a story as if they were a child working in the field. They would talk about their feelings, obstacles, thankfulness and if they would ever try to escape or if they would remain faithful to their family.
May 31, 2017
This is a tale of a young child who works with her family picking cotton. The narrative is in a southern dialect and some children may have trouble with the grammar, but it adds to the authenticity of this child's experience.
I loved the author's note at the beginning of the book; it's very poignant and still reflective of the limited options for children who live in poverty:
"Our shame as a nation is not that so many children work the fields but that so few of them have other options, that the life chances of too many are defined by the cycle of the seasons. In environments characterized by minimums - minimum wages, minimum shelters, minimum food and education - individual character, the love of a family, can do so much; the rest is up to the country." (p. 4)
The illustrations for this book were created with acrylic paints and many of the scenes have an impressionistic style, and the faces of the people are very expressive. The narrative is very short and would be appropriate for a group read aloud. I really enjoyed reading this book together.
This book was selected as one of the books for the November 2016- Caldecott Honor discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
I loved the author's note at the beginning of the book; it's very poignant and still reflective of the limited options for children who live in poverty:
"Our shame as a nation is not that so many children work the fields but that so few of them have other options, that the life chances of too many are defined by the cycle of the seasons. In environments characterized by minimums - minimum wages, minimum shelters, minimum food and education - individual character, the love of a family, can do so much; the rest is up to the country." (p. 4)
The illustrations for this book were created with acrylic paints and many of the scenes have an impressionistic style, and the faces of the people are very expressive. The narrative is very short and would be appropriate for a group read aloud. I really enjoyed reading this book together.
This book was selected as one of the books for the November 2016- Caldecott Honor discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
March 27, 2018
I liked this book because it shows a family working in the field all day and only having a small lunch. It shows that families go through rough times but work together to get the job done and the meaning of family is awesome.
I gave this book a 5/5 because I love the illustrations in this book. They are so real and they can accurately describe a days hard work. This book can translate into talking about hard work and what cotton turns in to and why it is so important. The language of this book is also very real. Not all the grammar is correct but with the context of the book, it fits perfectly with the story.
I gave this book a 5/5 because I love the illustrations in this book. They are so real and they can accurately describe a days hard work. This book can translate into talking about hard work and what cotton turns in to and why it is so important. The language of this book is also very real. Not all the grammar is correct but with the context of the book, it fits perfectly with the story.
October 6, 2017
This book provides a glimpse into the life of a family of migrant workers, as they spend a day working in a cotton field. Though there isn’t much text, the illustrations help give the reader a sense of what the family’s day is like - including the participation of the children in the day’s activities, and what the family eats when they take a break for lunch. There is so much personality in the face of each character, and the depiction of the cotton plants is just beautiful. Unfortunately, though, the abrupt ending left me feeling unsatisfied, as though I’d only been taken on half a journey.
March 12, 2017
Story about an African-American family working in the cotton fields. The illustrations are beautifully painted. They capture the feel of the day with the chill in the morning air, the pleasure with Momma singing, and the perspiration and exhaustion at the end of the day.
The story is not written in "proper" English and I think I would have to read it aloud once or twice myself before I could read it the way it was written out loud. Great glimpse into what a day working the cotton fields would be like. After reading this, even young children will know what it means to work cotton.
The story is not written in "proper" English and I think I would have to read it aloud once or twice myself before I could read it the way it was written out loud. Great glimpse into what a day working the cotton fields would be like. After reading this, even young children will know what it means to work cotton.
October 11, 2017
1. Genre: Traditional Literature
2. Grade Level: 1-5
3. Interesting Facts: This book has amazing illustrations (No wonder it's a Caldecott book). It is also written in a way that depicts the storyteller (a young African American girl speaking in African American Vernacular). The reader is put in the story teller's shoes as she explains a day in the life of a cotton picking family.
4. Completed on October 10, 2017
2. Grade Level: 1-5
3. Interesting Facts: This book has amazing illustrations (No wonder it's a Caldecott book). It is also written in a way that depicts the storyteller (a young African American girl speaking in African American Vernacular). The reader is put in the story teller's shoes as she explains a day in the life of a cotton picking family.
4. Completed on October 10, 2017
March 18, 2014
This is a Caldecott Honor book and the illustrations clearly identify with that. I enjoyed this book being from a child's point of view about their work in the cotton fields because students would be able to relate to the child while reading. You could read this book when talking about the South and slavery.
December 8, 2014
A day in the life of a migrant cotton worker as told through the eyes of a young girl is the premise of Working Cotton. Gorgeous acrylic paint illustrations help the story along, but the words are much too simple and easy-going to fully describe the hardship and long working hours put in by these determined people.
November 2, 2016
1993 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: Where the family first gets to the field and is spread out working together.
This is a beautiful book that tells the story of a family of migrant workers. I especially love the author's note about the necessity of fixing a broken system where children must work in the fields to help their family survive.
This is a beautiful book that tells the story of a family of migrant workers. I especially love the author's note about the necessity of fixing a broken system where children must work in the fields to help their family survive.
November 29, 2014
A straightfoward and beautifully presented book.
October 10, 2019
This is a beautifully illustrated book in the mixed style of impressionism and watercolor. It is based on a young African American girl that comes from a family that picks cotton on the field from the crack of dawn to late into the night.
November 5, 2018
When I was young, the phrase “the cotton picker” was used as a derogatory term that could be used in polite society. It was of course a reference to poor blacks that did the hard work of manually picking the cotton from the mature plants in the fields. This book tells the story of a black family where all members are bussed to the fields before dawn so that they can start picking at first light and continue until there is no longer enough light. The father, mother and all children work in the fields and the story is told from the perspective of a girl old enough to pick, but not old enough to have her own sack.
Their wages are determined by how much their sacks weigh, so the most significant caption is the one where the father’s sack is being weighed, even with the minimal use of visual features, the way his hands are jammed in his pants demonstrates how critical the moment is. The daily bread for the family is literally at stake.
The format is a watercolor-style minimalist image taking up both pages with a short caption of text. The text is written in the language of the people being depicted, some example phrases are, “It be cold, cold, cold” and “Daddy picking the row side of Ruise and Jesmarie; they picking the row side of us.”
This book is a history lesson of how it was for many black families for approximately a century after emancipation. Although they were legally free people, economically they were not. While the families remained intact, everyone worked in the fields, for every pound of cotton was needed in order for them to survive.
Their wages are determined by how much their sacks weigh, so the most significant caption is the one where the father’s sack is being weighed, even with the minimal use of visual features, the way his hands are jammed in his pants demonstrates how critical the moment is. The daily bread for the family is literally at stake.
The format is a watercolor-style minimalist image taking up both pages with a short caption of text. The text is written in the language of the people being depicted, some example phrases are, “It be cold, cold, cold” and “Daddy picking the row side of Ruise and Jesmarie; they picking the row side of us.”
This book is a history lesson of how it was for many black families for approximately a century after emancipation. Although they were legally free people, economically they were not. While the families remained intact, everyone worked in the fields, for every pound of cotton was needed in order for them to survive.
March 25, 2016
Copyright: 1992, I didn't realize until I did my second book that I wasn't doing books with 2011 or newer but oh well! I'll start doing that now that I've remembered!
Genre: To me, this seems like Realistic Fiction or Historical Fiction. It does not say anywhere that this is a true story, but I have no doubt that there have been many real stories and experiences like this. There were no fantastical ideas or concepts to make this unrealistic. Of course the historical bit is that African people have been picking cotton for centuries, as that is why they were brought to America as slaves. Even after slavery, they still worked the fields for a living. This book tells the story of a typical day out in the cotton field with her family. The illustrations were AMAZING.
Target Audience: 1st-4th graders
Text-to-self: I have never done field work but this book reminds me of my parents working hard around the house to keep up our lawn and flower beds; re-mulching, dead-heading flowers, trimming the ivy, re-potting, bulb burying. And of course many of these things became my chores as well. Painting rooms, remodeling the basement, my dad using his free time to make our home ours. It was all very inspiring to me that they did hard work in their free time to keep things looking nice so that we had a comfortable home. My dad was a carpenter and did hard work all day and would come home and keep working. The girl in the story mentions the smell of cotton and it reminded me of the smell of sawdust in the garage and the smell of fresh paint or varnish. Those will always be precious memories to me.
Text-to-text: This book reminds me of one of my all-time-favorite books, Blueberries For Sal. My mom used to read that to me when I was little. These books both have little girls picking something with their family, but these girls are of different races. Each of the books make me wish that I was there with them, taking in the smells and the beauty of their surroundings.
Text-to-world: The African/American people have contributed so much to success and foundation of our country and sometimes we do not realize that. From resources to rights they have made an impact that has forever changed the world. Yet, they are constantly discriminated against. As educators, we need to share the contributions that this group of people have made for America.
Genre: To me, this seems like Realistic Fiction or Historical Fiction. It does not say anywhere that this is a true story, but I have no doubt that there have been many real stories and experiences like this. There were no fantastical ideas or concepts to make this unrealistic. Of course the historical bit is that African people have been picking cotton for centuries, as that is why they were brought to America as slaves. Even after slavery, they still worked the fields for a living. This book tells the story of a typical day out in the cotton field with her family. The illustrations were AMAZING.
Target Audience: 1st-4th graders
Text-to-self: I have never done field work but this book reminds me of my parents working hard around the house to keep up our lawn and flower beds; re-mulching, dead-heading flowers, trimming the ivy, re-potting, bulb burying. And of course many of these things became my chores as well. Painting rooms, remodeling the basement, my dad using his free time to make our home ours. It was all very inspiring to me that they did hard work in their free time to keep things looking nice so that we had a comfortable home. My dad was a carpenter and did hard work all day and would come home and keep working. The girl in the story mentions the smell of cotton and it reminded me of the smell of sawdust in the garage and the smell of fresh paint or varnish. Those will always be precious memories to me.
Text-to-text: This book reminds me of one of my all-time-favorite books, Blueberries For Sal. My mom used to read that to me when I was little. These books both have little girls picking something with their family, but these girls are of different races. Each of the books make me wish that I was there with them, taking in the smells and the beauty of their surroundings.
Text-to-world: The African/American people have contributed so much to success and foundation of our country and sometimes we do not realize that. From resources to rights they have made an impact that has forever changed the world. Yet, they are constantly discriminated against. As educators, we need to share the contributions that this group of people have made for America.
Read
August 29, 2016A standalone picture book that reflects Williams’ early life as a child in the cotton fields in Fresno.
In 1993, Working Cotton won the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator Honor. And I thoroughly understand why!
My Take
There’s a rhythmic quality to Williams’ words as she remembers her childhood, as she pulls you in with that dreamy quality, in to Shelan’s world, to show you what a day in the fields was like. The sense of competition between the sisters, that need to be like each other and yet not. Especially, *laughing*, as Shelan wishes to both grow up and be young enough to sit at the end of the row and watch the baby.
The manner in which Williams manipulates the grammar and sentence structure is another way to pull you in and indicates Shelan’s educational level.
I know Byard’s illustrations are in acrylics — it says so in the front of the book! But there’s a feel of pastels about these intense colors, the soft smudgy feel of the graphics that make you feel the seriousness of it as well as that dreamy feel of Williams’ memories.
It’s a beautifully illustrated and written story of a day in the life of a family picking cotton.
The Story
It’s cold that early in the morning, although the day will heat up fast enough, Shelan notes.
I’m growing up, but not enough yet to have my own sack while Daddy picks cotton so fast that you never see him do it while Mamma sings to while the day away.
The Characters
Shelan is the young girl, the storyteller; her sisters include Ruise, Jesmarie, and baby Leanne. Mamma and Daddy are the kind of people who should have children. God knows, that’s rare enough!
The Cover and Title
The cover has an Impressionist feel to it with its hazy cotton, blue summer sky, and Shelan in her turquoise green dress and brown jacket. The title is in a white serif font with an orange outline.
The title is what the day is all about, Working Cotton.
In 1993, Working Cotton won the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator Honor. And I thoroughly understand why!
My Take
There’s a rhythmic quality to Williams’ words as she remembers her childhood, as she pulls you in with that dreamy quality, in to Shelan’s world, to show you what a day in the fields was like. The sense of competition between the sisters, that need to be like each other and yet not. Especially, *laughing*, as Shelan wishes to both grow up and be young enough to sit at the end of the row and watch the baby.
The manner in which Williams manipulates the grammar and sentence structure is another way to pull you in and indicates Shelan’s educational level.
I know Byard’s illustrations are in acrylics — it says so in the front of the book! But there’s a feel of pastels about these intense colors, the soft smudgy feel of the graphics that make you feel the seriousness of it as well as that dreamy feel of Williams’ memories.
It’s a beautifully illustrated and written story of a day in the life of a family picking cotton.
The Story
It’s cold that early in the morning, although the day will heat up fast enough, Shelan notes.
I’m growing up, but not enough yet to have my own sack while Daddy picks cotton so fast that you never see him do it while Mamma sings to while the day away.
The Characters
Shelan is the young girl, the storyteller; her sisters include Ruise, Jesmarie, and baby Leanne. Mamma and Daddy are the kind of people who should have children. God knows, that’s rare enough!
The Cover and Title
The cover has an Impressionist feel to it with its hazy cotton, blue summer sky, and Shelan in her turquoise green dress and brown jacket. The title is in a white serif font with an orange outline.
The title is what the day is all about, Working Cotton.
October 17, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Summary:
This is a story about a young girl who explains her, as well as others, life in the fields through her eyes. She walks the readers through her day. She uses incorrect grammar, just as one may assume a young child to sound like when speaking. She describes the fields, the people, and the cotton itself throughout the story. The story ends with the day turning to night where the workers get to return home, only to wake up and go back to the fields.
Prompt Questions:
What do you think this story is about?
In what point of view is the story being told?
What do you think the girl's responsibility is while in the fields?
Do you think the girl looks up to her father?
How would you describe the working families?
Critique: I enjoyed this book because it gives student's the opportunity to understand how a child saw life during slavery. Although the story was written with many grammatical errors, it did not take away from the story. Also, the pictures were phenomenal and really supported the story. Overall, I rely enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to other readers.
Activity:
Writing Prompt: The students will write a story of their day from the time the wake up until the time they go to sleep. The fous will be on the use of transition words.
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Summary:
This is a story about a young girl who explains her, as well as others, life in the fields through her eyes. She walks the readers through her day. She uses incorrect grammar, just as one may assume a young child to sound like when speaking. She describes the fields, the people, and the cotton itself throughout the story. The story ends with the day turning to night where the workers get to return home, only to wake up and go back to the fields.
Prompt Questions:
What do you think this story is about?
In what point of view is the story being told?
What do you think the girl's responsibility is while in the fields?
Do you think the girl looks up to her father?
How would you describe the working families?
Critique: I enjoyed this book because it gives student's the opportunity to understand how a child saw life during slavery. Although the story was written with many grammatical errors, it did not take away from the story. Also, the pictures were phenomenal and really supported the story. Overall, I rely enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to other readers.
Activity:
Writing Prompt: The students will write a story of their day from the time the wake up until the time they go to sleep. The fous will be on the use of transition words.
September 8, 2017
• 1993 Caldecott Honor Book •
This book was ok. I wasn't fond of the text. And I was sort of confused about the message... The author's note at the beginning says, "Our shame as a nation is not that so many children work the fields but that so few of them have other options [...]" But when I read this story, it really seemed like the little girl, Shelan, enjoyed picking cotton. She was jealous she wasn't old enough to get her own bag, she and her family were smiling while having a picnic in the middle of the work day, she got to meet friends while picking, she said "cotton smell like morning"... So I didn't really understand the message of the book. It felt really depressing - Shelan was a cotton picker, she enjoyed it and didn't have any hopes or dreams beyond that. Ugh. The only thing I liked was the family working together, and the illustrations were great.
Materials used: acrylic paints on Stonehenge white paper
Typeface used: text: Berkeley Old Style Medium • display: Caruso Scratch Dot
This book was ok. I wasn't fond of the text. And I was sort of confused about the message... The author's note at the beginning says, "Our shame as a nation is not that so many children work the fields but that so few of them have other options [...]" But when I read this story, it really seemed like the little girl, Shelan, enjoyed picking cotton. She was jealous she wasn't old enough to get her own bag, she and her family were smiling while having a picnic in the middle of the work day, she got to meet friends while picking, she said "cotton smell like morning"... So I didn't really understand the message of the book. It felt really depressing - Shelan was a cotton picker, she enjoyed it and didn't have any hopes or dreams beyond that. Ugh. The only thing I liked was the family working together, and the illustrations were great.
Materials used: acrylic paints on Stonehenge white paper
Typeface used: text: Berkeley Old Style Medium • display: Caruso Scratch Dot
May 2, 2011
The book is about slavery before the Civil War and the setting of the story is on a cotton plantation in the South. The book goes into details about the interactions of individuals while working on the plantation. I would use this book in the classroom to introduce to students the topic of slavery to inform them of what others had to endure. The book can be used in multiple ways, for example, writing, arts, or social studies.
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