Reviews

Meet Miss Fancy by Irene Latham

shayemiller's review against another edition

4.0

This is a precious story about a young boy named Frank, who loved elephants. But when he and his fellow classmates raised enough money to bring Miss Fancy to Birmingham, black children were not allowed to touch or ride her. But as Miss Fancy escapes the zoo, Frank ends up saving the day using peanuts to lure her back home. While this story contains fictional characters like Frank and his mother, there was a real life elephant named Miss Fancy. And schoolchildren really did raise enough money (in pennies) to purchase her from the circus. Furthermore, there really were segregation laws that prevented African American families from coming into certain places, like the zoo. So this historical experience was written right into the storyline. An Author’s Note shares more about Miss Fancy’s life before and after her time in Birmingham.

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gardenjess's review against another edition

5.0

Loved it - great illustrations and story telling about Fancy, an elephant that lived in Alabama through the 30's and the fictional story of a boy who desperately wanted to meet Fancy. Parts are based on history - Fancy really did exist, and an African American church really did petition to be able to hold a picnic on the grounds of the town park, but with draw the request after it's approval because of the controversy.