Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book by Tonya Bolden

Abstract

Reviewed by: Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book by Tonya Bolden Kara Forde Bolden, Tonya Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book; illus. by Eric Velasquez Quill Tree, 2022 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780062967404 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 4-8 As a mail carrier in New Jersey in the early twentieth century, Victor Hugo Green was known for his “great get-up-and-go,” and he used his resourcefulness to carefully compile information about safe and friendly accommodations for Black folks traveling in the United States during Jim Crow segregation. The result was the Green Book, which started as a small pamphlet in 1936 that focused on the New York City area but quickly grew to detail welcoming establishments in the biggest cities of every state until its last publication in 1966. With lively language that hovers between poetry and prose, Bolden’s biographical account carefully introduces the intersections of historical preconditions that led to the creation of Green Book: the pervasive harassment and danger Black people experienced during Jim Crow; the growing Harlem Renaissance; the shifts in modes of transportation during the Great Depression; and Green’s disposition and resilience. Velasquez’s smooth oil paint illustrations radiantly depict everyday Black folks on the go, often paired with highly detailed portraits of car models of the era, while collaged snippets of relevant media, such as postcards and newspaper headlines, contextualize the flow of information around the Green Book’s creation and use. Primary source evidence of how dearly Victor Hugo Green longed to see the day his prized creation would no longer be necessary poignantly connects Green’s life to the broader history of civil rights movement. Backmatter includes a timeline, additional information about Green, citation notes, and suggested further resources for young readers. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois