Little Cliff and the Porch People [Hardcover]

Clifton L. Taulbert (Author), E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

In a series of acclaimed memoirs, Clifton Taulbert has told of the nurturing community that raised him within the segregated Mississippi Delta of the 1950s. Now the memorable characters from "Eight Habits of the Heart, When We Were Colored" and Taulbert's other popular works appear in his first picture book. This heartwarming story about intergenerational friendship is beautifully illustrated by Lewis's light-filled paintings. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taulbert's (Eight Habits of the Heart; When We Were Colored) first picture book is an expertly told story warm with nostalgia for the tightly knit black communities of the South in the '50s. Sent down the road to buy a pound of Miz Callie's "special butter"?a vital ingredient for his great-grandmother's candied sweet potatoes?Cliff wants to heed Mama Pearl's admonitions not to stop along the way and to get back "lickety-split," but the good manners instilled in him by Poppa Joe, his great-grandfather, demand that he greet his elderly neighbors as he passes. In the time-honored "Stone Soup" tradition, Uncle Abe Brown offers fresh nutmeg when he hears what's cooking in Mama Pearl's "magic skillet," Mr. Boot-Nanny provides some vanilla from New Orleans and Cousin Savannah insists on giving him a small jar of "fresh grease." When Cliff finally returns with the butter?and everything else?Mama Pearl gets to work on the sweet potatoes. As suppertime rolls around all the impromptu contributors show up to help enjoy it. Taulbert's assured pace and judicious use of Southern vernacular imbue his prose with a strong regional flavor, and he draws his characters with great tenderness. The text's strengths are matched by Lewis's (Down the Road) luminous watercolors, especially his portraits. Firmly grounded in realism and brimming with an appreciation for familiar, homespun pleasures, they invite readers to pause a minute, as if to soak up some front-porch hospitality. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Taulbert weaves his memories of growing up in his great-grandparents' house in the Mississippi Delta during the 1950s with a strong plot to create a successful picture book about the past. When Mama Pearl wants to surprise Poppa Joe with her special candied sweet potatoes for dinner, she sends her great-grandson Little Cliff to the store for butter. On the way, he politely greets several of the "porch people" in the neighborhood, and each one contributes his or her bit to help make magic in the skillet. Using Uncle Abe's nutmeg kernels, Mr. Boot-Nanny's pure vanilla flavor, Cousin Savannah's fresh grease, and Miz Callie's special butter, Mama Pearl transforms the raw, nasty-tasting sweet potatoes into a delectable treat. Everyone shares in a wonderful meal and they all agree with Cliff that her skillet "works the best magic in the whole wide world." The book is full of remarkable characters, all of whom are beautifully delineated in Lewis's realistic watercolor paintings. The pictures serve to underline the essential warmth, caring, and friendliness of the neighborhood. A strong intergenerational story.
Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803721749
• ISBN-13: 978-0803721746
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,037,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Cliff and the Porch People, December 15, 1999

By 

Teresa Gayheart (Lexington, Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Cliff and the Porch People (Hardcover)

Little Cliff and the Porch People is a lovely book with beautiful watercolor illustrations that capture the Mississippi Delta region. I believe that little people of all races will find this book enjoyable.

Little Cliff is a African-American boy in the south who is sent to run the errand of getting a special ingredient for his great-grandmother's candied sweet potatoes. His journey brings back sweet memories of days gone by. A time when neighbors would go out of their way to help each other and children were taught manners and respect for their elders.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Country Livin, June 27, 2003

By 

TheRAWKidzReview - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Cliff and the Porch People (Hardcover)

In this book we meet Little Cliff, a young boy growing up in the Mississippi Delta. He lives with his great-parents, Momma Pearl and Poppa Joe, while his mother teaches school. In this story, he is given a big responsibility, to go through the town and get butter for Momma Pearl to make her candied sweet potatoes in her "magic skillet". Cliff is anxious to get his job done, but along the way several "porch people", friends and neighbors who sit on their front porches and socialize, stop him, giving him their own ingredients for the potatoes. He eventually completes his task and has a huge dinner with his family and all of the "porch people". The illustrations in this book serve as a tribute to country life and the camaraderie amongst neighbors. I highly recommend this novel and it would be a welcome complement to any family library.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy of
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers