Belle, The Last Mule at Gee's Bend: A Civil Rights Story

by Calvin Alexander Ramsey

Other authorsJohn Holyfield (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

426

Genres

Children's Books

Publication

Candlewick (2011), 32 pages

Description

In Gee's Bend, Alabama, Miz Pettway tells young Alex about the historic role her mule played in the struggle for civil rights led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Includes factual information about the community of Gee's Bend and Martin Luther King, Jr.

User reviews

LibraryThing member nbmars

This inspiring and informative story based on fact combines animals and lovely illustrations to introduce children to some important history. Alex is a young boy in Gee’s Bend, Alabama. He sees a mule eating greens out of Miz Pettway’s garden and asks why she lets him. Miz Pettway explains that

the mule, Belle, is very special and can have all she wants! Belle arrived in Gee’s Bend in 1965 at the same time Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came to urge them all to vote over in the town of Camden. The whites shut the ferry down so they couldn’t get there, so they went in mule-drawn carts. After Dr. King was shot, Belle and another mule named Ada were taken to Atlanta to pull his casket.

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LibraryThing member JTNguyen

The book is about the famous mule named Belle, who had the honor of pulling Dr. Martin Luther King's casket on the day of his funeral. The book gives readers a look back into history during the Civil Rights movement and experience the same things that Belle saw.

LibraryThing member conlonk

I really really liked this book. I think it is a great Civil Rights book because it is a true story (the author's note at the end explains the true events of the story) but it is not the typical story one hears about the Civil Rights movement or Dr. King.

In the book, an old woman tells a little boy

the story of a heroic Mule named Belle. Through Belle's story, the woman tells the story of Gee Bend, Alabama's involvement in the Civil RIghts Movement and support of Dr. King's endeavors. Belle the mule hauled carts of people to the voting booths (after the people gained their courage to vote from Dr. King's visit to them), and then after Dr. King's assassination, 2 mules from Gee Bend (including Belle) pulled Dr. King's farm wagon holding his casket. This touching true story is a very interesting outlet through which to view one part of the Civil Rights Movement.

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LibraryThing member Sullywriter

Not so crazy about how the story is framed but it is a great story.

LibraryThing member Sondosottallah

Awesome book about a historical mule! Belle was the mule that pulled Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral wagon. I thought it was a very interesting story and something new for me! This would be great to read to a second grade class who are learning about the Civil Rights movement.

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