Bonjour, Lonnie

by Faith Ringgold

The Love Bird visits the orphan Lonnie, who wants more than anything to find his family, and then transports him to 1920s Paris where Lonnie gets to meet his grandfather and eventually his African-American father and his Jewish mother

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Katrina Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

New vocab: ancestry

Read this when learning about France

Bonjour- Hello in French

Discuss:
- Languages
- Traveling
- Curiosity
- Cultures
- Streotypes

Would an African-American Jew considered to be common?

[Katy Hypes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Huge fan of Ringold

[Ellice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like much of Faith Ringgold's art, but there was a lot going on in this picture book. There's a complex story arc of a child of an African American expatriate in France orphaned by war who later finds an aunt and uncle to live with, with the Harlem Renaissance and a magical Love Bird thrown in for good measure. The illustrations are fun but I think the heavy import of the many topics may go over the head of most kids.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning is sweet story about places in france and a love bird. When it discusses the love story of his grandparents and parents it includes the harsh history of WW2 and racism.