MISS VIOLA AND UNCLE ED LEE

The apparent point of Duncan’s story—accepting folks no matter how different their ways—is hardly driven home by her tale of three neighbors, an African-American boy and two of his elders. Miss Viola lives in an immaculate house set on an immaculate yard; Uncle Ed Lee lives amid gonna-get-to-it-someday disorder; and Bradley, the young narrator, lives in the house between theirs. One day, while playing checkers in his tumbledown yard, Uncle Ed Lee mentions to Bradley that he would like to know Miss Viola. Bradley guffaws, too aware of Uncle Ed Lee’s “flaws.” “Just because folks are different, don’t mean they can’t be friends,” intones Uncle Ed Lee. Miss Viola lets it be known that the gentleman will have to spruce up his digs if he expects her friendship. So he does. This is not exactly a call for tolerance as much as it is a request for radical change. Uncle Ed Lee and Miss Viola may be friends, but only because one of them cleaned up his act. The scenes, tenderly rendered in watercolors by Stock, soften the message. (Picture book. 5-8)