Includes bibliographical references (p. 287-289) and index.
Contents:
Foreword: The twists and turns of radical children's literature / Julia Mickenberg, Philip Nel -- Introduction / Julia Mickenberg, Philip Nel -- Excerpts from The Black BC's (1970) / Excerpt from The Socialist primer : a book of first lessons for the little ones in words of one syllable (1908) / illustrated by Don Miller -- illustrated by Ryan Walker -- Excerpt form The Socialist primer (1930) / Art Young -- Selections from "Pioneer Mother Goose" (1934) / written by Ned Donn, illustrated by Bill Gropper (William Gropper) -- "ABC for Martin" from Martin's annual (1935) / M. Boland -- Excerpts from The Black BC's (1970) / written by Lucille Clifton, illustrated by Don Miller -- Red ribbons for Emma (1981) / Excerpt from Nature talks on economics (1912) / New Mexico People & Energy Collective: Deb Preusch, Tom Barry, Beth Wood -- Excerpts from Science and history for girls and boys (1932) / William Montgomery Brown -- "Races of mankind," from Climbing our family tree (1945) / Alex Novikoff, written by John English -- Day they parachuted cats on Borneo : a drama of ecology (1971) / written by Charlotte Pomerantz, scenery by Jose Aruego -- Red ribbons for Emma (1981) / written by New Mexico People & Energy Collective: Deb Preusch, Tom Barry, Beth Wood -- Girls can be anything (1973) / "Sharecroppers" (1937) / illustrated by Roy Doty -- illustrated by Fred Ellis -- Excerpt from Johnny get your money's worth (and Jane too) / written by Ruth Brindze, illustrated by Emery I. Gondor -- Story of your coat (1946) / written by Clara Hollos, illustrated by Herbert Kruckman -- Little tailor (1955) / William Gropper -- Girls can be anything (1973) / written by Norma Klein, illustrated by Roy Doty -- "Doria Ramirez," from Small hands, big hands : seven profiles of Chicano migrant workers and their families (1970) / "Happy valley," from The child's Socialist reader (1907) / illustrated by Sandra Weiner -- "Battle in the barnyard," from Battle in the barnyard : stories and pictures for Worker's children (1932) / written by Helen Kay, illustrated by Juanita Preval -- "Pickets and slippery sticks," from New pioneer story book (1935) / written by Myra Page, illustrated by Lydia Gibson -- "Beavers" (1936) / written by Oscar Saul, Lou Lantz, illustrated by Jack Herman -- "Mary stays after school or, What this union is about" (1939) / Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America -- Mr. His : a children's story for anybody (1939) / A. Redfield (Syd Hoff) -- Oscar the ostrich (1940) / written by Jerome Schwartz (Jerome Lawrence), illustrated by Mark David -- "Doria Ramirez," from Small hands, big hands : seven profiles of Chicano migrant workers and their families (1970) / Sandra Weiner -- The practical princess (1969) / "Why?" from Fairy tales for worker's children (1925) / translated by Friso Henstra -- translated by Ida Dailes, illustrated by Lydia Gibson -- Excerpt from Funnybone alley (1927) / written by Alfred Kreymborg, illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff -- Teacup whale (1934) / Lydia Gibson -- Geyt a hindele ken Bronzvil (A little hen goes to Brownsville) (1937) / written by Yehoshua Kaminski, illustrated by Not Koslowsky, translated by Jerold C. Frakes -- The practical princess (1969) / written by Jay Williams, translated by Friso Henstra -- "High John the conqueror," from Black folktales (1969) / "American history retold in pictures" (1931) / illustrated by Tom Feelings -- illustrated by William Siegel -- Excerpt from North star shining : a pictorial history of the American Negro (1947) / written by Hildegarde Hoyt Swift, illustrated by Lynd Ward -- "Stories for children," from Freedom (1950-1955) / written by Linda Lewis, Elsie Robins ... [et al.] -- "Lucretia Mott," from Independent Voices (1968) / written by Eve Merriam -- "High John the conqueror," from Black folktales (1969) / written by Julius Lester, illustrated by Tom Feelings -- Excerpts from Elizabeth : a Puerto Rican-American child tells her story (1974) / Little boy in a big city," from The first book of Negroes (1952) / illustrated by Joe Molnar -- illustrated by Ursula Koering -- "Sneetches" (1953) / Dr. Seuss -- "Who stole the tarts?" from The Pogo stepmother goose (1954) / written by Lewis Carroll, adapted and illustrated by Walt Kelly -- X : a fabulous child's story (1978) / written by Lois Gould, illustrated by Jacqueline Chwast -- "Princess who stood on her own two feet," from Stories for free children (1982) / written by Jeanne Desy, illustrated by Leslie Udry -- Excerpts from Elizabeth : a Puerto Rican-American child tells her story (1974) / Joe Molnar -- Excerpt from Come with me : poems, guessing poems, and dance poems for young people (1963) / "Buster Brown plays David and Goliath," from Buster Brown goes shooting and other stories (1907) / Samuel Kamen. "How two sweetheart dippies sat in the moonlight on a lumber yard fence and heard about the Sooners and the Boomers," from Rootabaga pigeons (1923) / illustrated by Carl Sandburg, illustrated by Maud Petersham, Miska Petersham -- In Henry's backyard : the races of mankind (1948) / written by Ruth Benedict, Gene Weltfish, illustrated by United Productions of America -- Three promises to you (1957) / Munro Leaf -- Excerpt from Come with me : poems, guessing poems, and dance poems for young people (1963) / written by Edith Segal, illustrated by Samuel Kamen.
Summary:
From the Publisher: In 1912, a revolutionary chick cries, "Strike down the wall!" and liberates itself from the "egg state." In 1940, ostriches pull their heads out of the sand and unite to fight fascism. In 1972, Baby X grows up without a gender and is happy about it. Rather than teaching children to obey authority, to conform, or to seek redemption through prayer, twentieth-century leftists encouraged children to question the authority of those in power. Tales for Little Rebels collects forty-three mostly out-of-print stories, poems, comic strips, primers, and other texts for children that embody this radical tradition. These pieces reflect the concerns of twentieth-century leftist movements, like peace, civil rights, gender equality, environmental responsibility, and the dignity of labor. They also address the means of achieving these ideals, including taking collective action, developing critical thinking skills, and harnessing the liberating power of the imagination. Some of the authors and illustrators are familiar, including Lucille Clifton, Syd Hoff, Langston Hughes, Walt Kelly, Norma Klein, Munro Leaf, Julius Lester, Eve Merriam, Charlotte Pomerantz, Carl Sandburg, and Dr. Seuss. Others are relatively unknown today, but their work deserves to be remembered. (Each of the pieces includes an introduction and a biographical sketch of the author.) From the anti-advertising message of Johnny Get Your Money's Worth (and Jane Too)! (1938) to the entertaining lessons in ecology provided by The Day They Parachuted Cats on Borneo (1971), and Sandburg's mockery of war in Rootabaga Pigeons (1923), these pieces will thrill readers intrigued by politics and history-and anyone with a love of children's literature, no matter what age.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.