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A review by missprint_
Bessie the Motorcycle Queen by Charles R. Smith Jr.
3.0
Back matter includes a note from the author about "Bessie's Story" and bibliography with 2 books and 3 web pages. One quote from the author's note: "Bessie spun some tall tales, so it was hard to know the true details of her life." Uh ...
I don't know. Bessie Springfield is definitely fascinating but I'm not convinced of the feminist content. I could be convinced it's there but also feel like most of the story is framed to focus on the barriers she faced as a Black person more than as a Black WOMAN. The rhyming text is weak and falls apart in a couple of places. The artwork is nice but I wish the double page spread with the "reveal" of Bessie's un-helmeted face after the show was framed differently--it's so hard to see her with the page seam running down her face!
I don't know. Bessie Springfield is definitely fascinating but I'm not convinced of the feminist content. I could be convinced it's there but also feel like most of the story is framed to focus on the barriers she faced as a Black person more than as a Black WOMAN. The rhyming text is weak and falls apart in a couple of places. The artwork is nice but I wish the double page spread with the "reveal" of Bessie's un-helmeted face after the show was framed differently--it's so hard to see her with the page seam running down her face!