DINNER AT AUNT CONNIE'S HOUSE

A history lesson introducing 12 notable African-American women (Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune, Zora Neale Hurston, et al.) in the guise of a story about a special family dinner: 12 portraits in the hostess's attic come magically to life and speak to the nine- year-old narrator. The result is not particularly effective as fiction, since the slender narrative is overwhelmed by messages about family traditions, self-esteem, and the strength of African- American women, but it's still interesting and useful. Ringgold's art (Tar Beach, 1991 Caldecott Honor) is outstanding, marked by intense color and strong, boldly outlined shapes. The beautiful painted ``story quilt,'' basis for the book, is reproduced at the end with an explanatory note about its transformation into this story. (Picture book. 6-9)