This engaging picture book demonstrates how the legal right to vote was derailed for many African Americans in the mid-twentieth century. Living with his grandparents on a farm in the 1950s, the young boy who narrates the fictionalized but realistic account accompanies his grandfather, both of them dressed up for the occasion, to the polls, only to watch as Granddaddy is turned away upon failing a bogus "literacy" test. A repeated refrain the grandfather teaches the boy as they fish atience, son, patience" mains with him as he grows up, his grandfather passes away, and, after times have changed, he can cast his first vote, which he does with the photo he took of his grandfather on the day he was turned away from the ballot box clutched in his hand. Ransome's beautiful, lifelike watercolors show important, accurate period details, and the faces of onlookers telegraph the prevailing attitudes of the time. A closing authors' note details the sort of "literacy" demands that were set up as purposeful roadblocks to prevent African Americans from voting.

Gr 1-3 This beautiful picture book focuses on a special day. Granddaddy is wearing his suit, and Michael has agreed to put on a tie. Michael thinks they might be going to the county fair, but Granddaddy tells him that their destination is even better. African Americans have been granted the right to vote, and Granddaddy is going to the polls for the first time. Michael snaps a picture of his grandfather beaming with pride as he holds his first ballot, but the pair's happiness is short-lived: after Granddaddy is forced to admit that he can't read, a deputy sends him away. Granddaddy leaves in silent tears as Michael vows to vote for him someday. The narrative shifts to the years ahead as Michael grows and waits; when his own turn to vote finally comes, he brings his grandfather's picture along. The vocabulary and sentence structure will be accessible to readers of early chapter books, and the style evokes stories told in the oral tradition. Ransome's watercolors have a folksy quality reminiscent of Patricia Polacco's artwork. Occasional backlit silhouettes accent the bond between grandfather and grandson, and details like farm scenery, period clothing and hairstyles, and a decorative tablecloth create authenticity and atmosphere. Perhaps the most notable image comes toward the end, when a college-age Michael, immersed in school work, glances backward at the old photo of his grandfather that adorns his study space. A note at the end provides historical context about voting and the civil rights movement. VERDICT A visually detailed tale of patience and delayed triumph that highlights an important aspect of history. Jill Ratzan, I.L. Peretz Community Jewish School, Somerset, NJ