"Hope is part of human nature when people are not too beaten down," says Eloise Greenfield,  "It's critical that you have someone around to reflect hope... both for children and for adults." Eloise Greenfield should know, her children's books been providing hope to African-Americans and children of all colors for over twenty years.  

For more than two decades, Greenfield has been a dependable voice.  She's consistent in delivering comforting,  powerful stories that represent a unchanging philosophy.  She's steady in the solidness of her contributions, whether to poetry, biographies, or fiction.   Greenfield has won the Coretta Scott King Award as well as several awards from the American Library Association, and the acclaim of many people who have learned they can count on her as an author who offers hope.   This Saturday, Eloise Greenfield will be reading from her newest picture book, William and the Good Old Days (HarperCollins, $15.00) at the Haytide Center on Saturday at noon. 

Greenfield quotes 1992 statistics from the University of Wisconsin's Cooperative Children's Book Center.  "In 1992, there were 4,500 trade books published for children.  Seventy-eight represented the work of African-Americans, ninety-four books were created by African-American writers or illustrators.  That doesn't sound like much, but it's a great improvement.  Twenty years ago,  if there were ten books, I'd be surprised."

Her thoughts about the future of African-American books are uncertain. In the late 70's and early 80's, after an encouraging increase in African-American books, she saw a drop. "Having lived through that cycle once, I'm a realist. I know that a drop is possible.  I'm not pessimistic, but we can't be complacent." For the most part, Greenfield is pleased with the changes in the marketplace. "I'm glad to see so many African-American books, glad to see so many African- Americans working, and glad to see lots of good work being done."

It was stereotype that led Greenfield to focus on publishing children's books.  In 1971 she joined the D.C. Black Writers Workshop and met other African- American writers including Sharon Bell Mathas. "She and I talked about what we had discovered in parenting.  We both saw the shortage of books for African-American children about African-American life and the tragedy that these books didn't exist in large numbers.  It gradually became my mission and the mission of others.  It's a really strange thing because we all work apart in a separate places and yet we're working together to make change."   

"In children's writing it's particularly important to avoid the stereotypes and be sure you're doing something that's nourishing for children."  Greenfield accomplishes this by "listening to the people who live in my imagination...watching them, getting to know them, seeing what they're experiencing, and giving them what they want."

It is Greenfield's attention to the specific needs of her individual characters that accomplishes her desire "to show life the way it really is, in all its aspects.   So often the negative is emphasized in books about African-American life.  I'm trying to give a total picture.  When we listen to talk shows or hear the news there is so much overgeneralization that people don't really see or hear each other, or know what's going on. I fight against that."

William and the Good Old Days is based on real incidents in the life of Greenfield's illustrator and friend, Jan Spivey Gilchrist.   William and the Good Old Days was initiated by Gilchrist's life, given words by Greenfield, and the loop was complete when Gilcrest illustrated the story. The story began when Gilcrest told Greenfield of the pain her son William faced because of his grandmother's illness. "I created a new character and story, but the warmth really existed and there was that real closeness between Jan's son and his grandmother."

In her book and in real life, support of people around William help him face his sadness.   In the book, William remembers his grandma grilling on the sidewalk and "people would come around and watch, and talk to each other, and talk to me and make me laugh...all those happy people-sounds would make my food taste extra, extra good."

It's detailed experience of her characters that allows Greenfield to convey in children's books the gifts she sees around her.  "Community is one of African-Americans' strongest assets because we've had so much to protect each other from.  Community has very often kept people alive...in all senses, even in the physical sense. It's something we've always known about our lives, but it's not always recognized by people who are writing about us as an important quality." 

"William has support, but he has the strength himself to figure things out, move himself forward through his pain,  and adjust to the fact that the new life will be different than the old."  William is resilient because Eloise Greenfield believes that "people are resilient and African-Americans are especially resilient because we've had to be." It's William's hope and optimism that  buoy him through the process.  

Greenfield has a hope for the future of children's books.  "There have always been racist books and they're still being published.  I would like to see them not published...to see an end to stereotype." 

For twenty years Greenfield has given children's books scores of individual characters. The specifics of her stories chorus to challenge stereotype and create books that deny generalization...and offer hope.

©Susie Wilde 1998