On May 26, 2007 a group of white supremacists came to Knoxville, Tennessee to stage a protest in a public park. However they were thwarted in their efforts to stir up racial anger by a group of clown counter protesters: The Coup Clutz Clowns. In a series of staged antics, the clowns 'misheard' the cry 'white power' as various near rhymes: white flour, white flowers, tight showers, wife power [they also heard 'wipe power' and produced rolls of toilet paper. That doesn't make it into the kid's book version].

With beautiful illustrations from Jenn Hales, author and activist David LaMotte retells the tale of that day in Knoxsville with their book White Flour. There are certain artistic liberties taken (i.e. the book pictures the white supremacist group as Klansmen instead of a neo-Nazi group) but all of the antics described and pictured in the book were preformed on that protest day.

Here is a picture from the actual protest (photo credit Conrad Honicker):

And here is a sample images from the book:



I found the story thoroughly entertaining and loved the true story behind it. But any review of a children's book should at least have some opinions from actually children. Luckily I have three of my own to opine. All of my kids love the pictures in this book including my 18 month old, but my five year old is probably the only one old enough to follow what is happening in the narrative and I honestly do not know how well she understands it. It may be more appropriate for slightly older kids. I have no problem teaching my kids creative non-violence, but I also had to explain racism, white supremacists and the Klan to my five year old. Perhaps it is best to hear about the horrors of hate groups at home, but if you wish to guard your child's innocence as long as you can, maybe wait a while for this one. Maybe age 6? 7? Of course my kids are white so they had the luxury of not being victim to overt racism at their young age, so it might be different from kid to kid. I think this a fun book with a great message (do not meet hate and anger with hate, but with love and laughter).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255. ( )

What an excellent book!! Based on a true-life story of dark hatred met with joy and light. In the hills of Appalachia in Knoxville, Tennessee, there came a group of haters, wearing white and cloaking themselves so their faces did not show; they spewed their words of bigotry and shouted incessantly about "White Power."

Imagine the surprise in being greeted by a group of people wearing cone shaped multi-colored hates and faces painted merrily like clowns. Holding their hand to their ears, pretending not to hear the ugliness, the clowns imagined they heard the words "White FLOUR!." And, they therefore spread white flour in the air, raining down on them gently with a puff of air, their whiteness countered the white robes of hatred.

As the astonished kkk members marched on, fists in the air, the white floured clowns acted as though they believed they heard "White FLOWERS!." And, accordingly, they opened the bags of white flowes they carefully had made which now rained down on all.

Next, from on high stilts, a clown announced that what the kkk held dear was "Tight SHOWERS." And, gathering in a tight knit group, they held a shower like hose pushing themselves tighter and tighter in a circled group.

And, then, to drive their point home even more, when the kkk shouted White Power, they thought they heard WIFE Power and thus joyfully smiled and shouted "Here's to wives and mothers!"

As a kind policeman led the clowns through the center of Knoxville, more people joined the parade of anti-discrimination. Ending the day in a show of strong support for all that was good and right and lovely about a world where all are appreciated and loved for who they were. ( )

White Flour tells the story of a whimsical and effective response to a racist rally in Knoxville, Tennessee in May of 2007. With Suessian rhyme and evocative illustrations inspired by true events, readers learn the story of the Coup Clutz Clowns, who vanquished the KKK, trumping hatred with humor, and providing an instructive and hilarious story of a non-violent approach to aggression. Jenn Hales' illustrations perfectly balance the seriousness of the topic with the humor of the clowns' approach.(amazon.com)

"[The author] David LaMotte is a dad, a husband, [and] an itinerant peace guy. . .He makes his living as a singer/songwriter and a public speaker. . .He is also a Rotary World Peace Fellow with a masters in International Studies, Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia." "As a child [the illustrator] Jenn Hales spent her time reading books and examining bumble-bees in the front yard. Her family didn't have a tv, so she drew the creatures she saw in nature and in her imagination. . ." Source: The book's last pages (unnumbered). Father Lyndon Harris, Executive Director, Gardens of Forgiveness, said of this work, "David's book bears witness to a profound truth: that humor and love are vital tools for breaking down barriers and overcoming hate. His telling of the Coup Clutz Clowns' story is masterful and compelling. Bravo!"