Dinner at Aunt Connie's House [Paperback]

Ann Bryant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 1996 | Series: Cafe Club

Tash wants her mum to remarry, preferably someone handsome and rich with a large house. When her friends are let in on her secret wish, they try to make her dream come true. But Tash has another secret, one which no-one can find out. If they do, they might not want to be her friends any more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Melody loves the annual family excursion to Aunt Connie's house: everyone gets to go swimming, share a fabulous dinner and see an exhibition of Aunt Connie's most recent art. This year there are surprises as well: a newly adopted cousin her own age ("I fell in love with him the first time I saw him") and a series of paintings of famous African American women. From their frames on the wall, the pictured women tell of their devotion to civil rights (Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer), education (Mary McLeod Bethune), literature (Zora Neale Hurston) and other causes and professions. Ringgold's ( Tar Beach ) distinctive primitive style, with its thick strokes and resilient, varied colors, seems especially suited to portraying these women of exceptional substance and strength. The heart of the book--the pages in which the women tell their stories--is at once a magical and a ringing affirmation of their achievements. But the surrounding pages are less impressive. Neither the members of Melody's extended family nor the dinner itself ever seem real, much less "extra special," and the book concludes on an odd, gratuitously sentimental note as the two children discuss their future as a married couple years hence. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-A highly imaginative and original picture book filled with stunning artwork. Unfortunately, the blending of fact and fantasy just does not work here. Melody meets her newly adopted cousin, Lonnie, at her Aunt Connie's house one summer. While playing, the youngsters discover 12 paintings in the attic, each of which depicts a famous African-American woman. What is unusual about the portraits is that they can speak. Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mary McLeod Bethune, Zora Neale Hurston, and the others take turns telling their stories to the two astonished children. At this point, the story gets bogged down by too many pages of biographical information. Plot elements of a family dinner, Lonnie's adoption, and his unusual features could themselves serve as rich story lines for separate books. Beautifully illustrated in the artist's trademark folk style, the book has a profusion of bright and vibrant colors of bold reds, yellows, and blues and muted purples, mauves, and beiges. The human figures are large and blocklike, with rich brown skin color. In the final analysis, Ringgold has tried to do too much. Nonetheless, despite these failings, this offering provides information, has charm, and is visually powerful.
Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hippo (September 20, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590137131
• ISBN-13: 978-0590137133
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,043,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Faith Ringgold was born in Harlem in 1930. She received a degree in art education from the City College of New York and was an art teacher long before she became a professional artist. She is best known for her 'painted story quilts,' some of which hang in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Tar Beach, RinggoldÕs first book for children, won the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration and was named a Caldecott Honor Book. Ringgold is now a professor of art at the University of California at San Diego. She lives in California and in New Jersey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bright, bold, and beautiful!, July 23, 2008

By 

Judy K. Polhemus "Book Collector" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dinner at Aunt Connie's House (Paperback)

What a wonderful book to have on hand during Black History month! It contains bright and bold colors in paintings of twelve beautiful African American women who tell us briefly about their lives and become the basis for longer collaborative work and projects by students. Add Faith Ringgold (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) and there is the basis for another African American woman in the mix.

Depending on the age group and your collaboration with your school media specialist/librarian, these are the things you can incorporate into a wonderful Black History project:

1. "Dinner at Aunt Connie's House"--read aloud parts of book for introduction to historical figures.
2. Go through "Faith Ringgold (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)" to identify the artist and some of her other books.
3. Assign one figure to a team of two (depending on class size). Make adjustments that suit your students.
4. Explain the assignment (as you determine best for your class). I would have mine do a powerpoint presentation using this book, one encyclopedia (if applicable), one book or magazine, or one internet article. Or posters. Or shoebox presentation. Or items pulled from a paper sack. Or whatever idea you create.
5. Require a written report (but it is not to be read to the class)
6. Have fun grading these projects! Display them.

As for Faith Ringgold's book, it is a celebration of women of color and the variety of things they have done in art, acting, writing, civil rights, education, public speaking, singing, leading, and cosmetics.

Melody and her newly adopted cousin, Lonnie, visit and talk with the women in the paintings. (You have to be there.) They have gone to their Aunt Connie's house for a big annual dinner and the display of her new art. Family comraderie is also a part of the story. By the end Melody has decided to grow up to become President of the United States and Lonnie will be a great opera singer! Well, why not?

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was an inspirational and motivating story!, August 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dinner at Aunt Connie's House (Hardcover)

My name is also Connie so I found this book quite interesting and so did my neice and nephew! The story was a great way to introduce several different African-Americans and their accomplishments in a very novel way. I found it to be quite an inspiring story. I am also a teacher. My class really enjoyed the book. The suspense built by the author kept my students actively engaged. They enjoyed painting their own portraits after hearing the story!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A VERY SLOW READ., January 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dinner at Aunt Connie's House (Paperback)

It was very difficult for my students to sit through this book. It was PACKED full of useful information on many different women, but didn't have much of an overall story to keep the listeners interested. It went from woman to woman to woman, teling about each life story and accomplishment. It caused the children to think divergently. The storyline was touched upon briefly, mostly at the beginning and at the end. Personally, I liked this book because I enjoy black history. However, I do not advise reading this book to a large group of small children.