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{{short description|1976 novel by James Baldwin}}
{{Infobox Book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name = Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood
| name = Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood
| title_orig =
| title_orig =
| translator =
| translator =
| image = <!--prefer 1st edition-->
| image = image:LittleManLittleMan.jpg
| caption = First edition
| image_caption =
| author = [[James Baldwin (writer)|James Baldwin]]
| author = [[James Baldwin]]
| illustrator = [[Yoran Cazac]]
| illustrator = [[Yoran Cazac]]
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
Line 11: Line 12:
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series =
| series =
| genre = [[Novel]]
| genre =
| publisher =
| publisher = [[The Dial Press]]
| release_date = 1976
| release_date = 1976
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = 96 pages
| pages = 96 pages
| isbn =
| isbn = 0-8037-4859-0
| preceded_by =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| followed_by =
}}
}}


'''''Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood''''' is a [[1976]] children's book by [[James Baldwin (writer)|James Baldwin]] and [[Yoran Cazac]].
'''''Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood''''' is a 1976 children's novel written by [[James Baldwin]] and [[Yoran Cazac]]


==Plot introduction==
==Plot introduction==
TJ recounts what he experiences while playing ball outside.
TJ recounts what he experiences while playing ball outside.

===Explanation of the title===
===Explanation of the title===
'Little man, little man' is what Miss Lee calls WT after covering up his gash.
"Little man, little man" is what Miss Lee calls WT after covering up his gash.


==Plot summary==
==Plot summary==
Line 32: Line 34:


==Characters==
==Characters==
In addition to '''TJ''', a four-year-old boy from [[Harlem]], there are seven characters:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/29/specials/baldwin-little.html|title=Children's Books|last=Lester|first=Julius|date=4 September 1977|website=archive.nytimes.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=25 August 2018}}</ref>
*'''TJ''', a four-year-old boy from [[Harlem]].

*'''TJ's parents'''
*'''TJ's parents'''
*'''WT''', a seven-year-old boy. He has an older brother. His father has left home and his mother works till dark. He wants to become a [[Boxing|boxer]].
*'''WT''', a seven-year-old boy. He has an older brother. His father has left home and his mother works till dark. He wants to become a [[Boxing|boxer]].
*'''Blinky''', an eight-year-old girl. She wears nothing but [[blue jeans]]. She speaks some Spanish.
*'''Blinky''', an eight-year-old girl. She wears nothing but [[Jeans|blue jeans]]. She speaks some Spanish.
*'''Mr. Man''', the [[janitor]]. He may be thirty-seven years old. He likes to play music.
*'''Mr. Man''', the [[janitor]]. He may be thirty-seven years old. He likes to play music.
*'''Mrs Lee''', Mr Man's wife. She has a drinking problem. She worked as a nurse before she got married.
*'''Mrs Lee''', Mr Man's wife. She has a drinking problem. She worked as a nurse before she got married.
Line 41: Line 44:


==Allusions to other works==
==Allusions to other works==
*Mr Man is said to be listening to The [[Rolling Stones]]'s ''[[(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction|Satisfaction]]''; later, ''[[Night Train (song)|Night Train]]'' is mentioned.
*Mr Man is said to be listening to The [[Rolling Stones]]'s "[[(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction|Satisfaction]]"; later, "[[Night Train (Jimmy Forrest composition)|Night Train]]" is mentioned.
*TJ's father is said to have taken his son to a [[Stevie Wonder]] concert.
*TJ's father is said to have taken his son to a [[Stevie Wonder]] concert.


Line 48: Line 51:
*TJ is said to look up to [[Hank Aaron]].
*TJ is said to look up to [[Hank Aaron]].
*WT is said to long to be a boxer like [[Sonny Liston]].
*WT is said to long to be a boxer like [[Sonny Liston]].
*Tj sees a copy of ''[[Muhammad Speaks]]'' in a store; he remembers his father disapproves of it while his mother thinks anything is worth reading.
*TJ sees a copy of ''[[Muhammad Speaks]]'' in a store; he remembers his father disapproves of it while his mother thinks anything is worth reading.

==External links==
*[http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/29/specials/baldwin-little.html New York Times Review]


{{Baldwin}}


==Publication history==
''Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood'' was reviewed as "experimental, enigmatic picture book that straddled the line between children’s and adult literature," and after its initial publication in 1976, it soon went out of print.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/20/books/review/james-baldwin-little-man-picture-book.html|title=A James Baldwin Book, Forgotten and Overlooked for Four Decades, Gets Another Life|last=Alter|first=Alexandra|date=20 August 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=25 August 2018|language=en}}</ref> In 2018, [[Duke University Press]] published a new edition, with an afterword by Aisha Karefa-Smart, Baldwin's niece.<ref name=":0" />{{Portal |Children's literature}}


==References==
{{1970s-novel-stub}}
{{Reflist}}{{James Baldwin}}


[[Category:1976 novels]]
[[Category:1976 American novels]]
[[Category:Novels by James Baldwin]]
[[Category:Novels by James Baldwin]]
[[Category:African American novels]]
[[Category:American children's novels]]
[[Category:American novellas]]
[[Category:1976 children's books]]

Latest revision as of 23:42, 8 June 2024

Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood
First edition
AuthorJames Baldwin
IllustratorYoran Cazac
LanguageEnglish
PublisherThe Dial Press
Publication date
1976
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages96 pages
ISBN0-8037-4859-0

Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood is a 1976 children's novel written by James Baldwin and Yoran Cazac

Plot introduction[edit]

TJ recounts what he experiences while playing ball outside.

Explanation of the title[edit]

"Little man, little man" is what Miss Lee calls WT after covering up his gash.

Plot summary[edit]

TJ plays ball with his friends outside; he grazes his knee, then hurts his buttocks. A police car drives by, looking for a man; they run away. TJ's father then invites WT over for cocoa. Later, TJ goes shopping for Miss Lee, under the aegis of WT. TJ is then summoned by Miss Beanpole; she wants him to go shopping for her; he goes with his three friends. They go to a store whose owner is Puerto Rican. On the way back, while playing ball again, WT hurts his foot and starts bleeding - a bottle fell down from a window and the shards hurt him. They go to Mr Man's and Miss Lee covers up his gash, starts crying, then gives him a Pepsi Cola. In the end, Blinky dances to Mr Man's record, to the delights of Miss Lee and Mr Man.

Characters[edit]

In addition to TJ, a four-year-old boy from Harlem, there are seven characters:[1]

  • TJ's parents
  • WT, a seven-year-old boy. He has an older brother. His father has left home and his mother works till dark. He wants to become a boxer.
  • Blinky, an eight-year-old girl. She wears nothing but blue jeans. She speaks some Spanish.
  • Mr. Man, the janitor. He may be thirty-seven years old. He likes to play music.
  • Mrs Lee, Mr Man's wife. She has a drinking problem. She worked as a nurse before she got married.
  • Miss Beanpole, a neighbour who likes to look out the window and locks herself in her own apartment. Miss Beanpole is not her real name; TJ cannot remember it.

Allusions to other works[edit]

Allusions to actual life[edit]

  • The book is dedicated to Beauford Delaney.
  • TJ is said to look up to Hank Aaron.
  • WT is said to long to be a boxer like Sonny Liston.
  • TJ sees a copy of Muhammad Speaks in a store; he remembers his father disapproves of it while his mother thinks anything is worth reading.

Publication history[edit]

Little Man Little Man: A Story of Childhood was reviewed as "experimental, enigmatic picture book that straddled the line between children’s and adult literature," and after its initial publication in 1976, it soon went out of print.[2] In 2018, Duke University Press published a new edition, with an afterword by Aisha Karefa-Smart, Baldwin's niece.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lester, Julius (4 September 1977). "Children's Books". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b Alter, Alexandra (20 August 2018). "A James Baldwin Book, Forgotten and Overlooked for Four Decades, Gets Another Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
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