Ladybird, Ladybird

A Very Different Mother. Urgency and Desperation.

Eve Merriam first published her parody of Mother Goose rhymes in 1969 and was both criticized and acclaimed for her biting satire of ghetto life. The traditional Mother Goose rhymes were often social and political commentaries on their times. Thus, Merriam was following an old tradition when she wrote her modern version of Mother Goose, highlighting the social issues of the 1960s. Even many years later, Merriam's commentary on urban living remains timely.

The Diaz image for Merriam's version of Ladybird, Taxi Man, exemplifies the dilemma of a ghetto mother who must leave her children home alone. The urban mother is pleading with the taxi driver to take her home. She can't even say the word that her children may be all “gone.” The reality of it is unspeakable. She exemplifies the plight of many poor, minority mothers who can't afford child care. The cab driver's refusal to drive the mother, though unfair and prejudiced, is a common occurrence in urban settings.

The illustration is done in very bold acrylic colors with a mood quite different from that of the other illustrations discussed. The modernistic style is somewhat reflective of cubism with geometric shapes and angles creating dynamic action. The picture almost jumps off the page. Although she is in the upper right quadrant of the illustration, the mother, or "ladybird," is the focus of the scene. Your eye travels to her face first. Her skin tone, a rich brown, portrays her as African American. The cab driver's skin tone is lighter, and the tight cap he wears, popular among young men, suggests he may be of Middle Eastern or perhaps even of African American descent himself. One can see the urgency in the mother's expression as she is pointing toward her home. Her large brown soulful eyes evoke emotion wrought with pain. Her hair is blown in one direction as if she just ran over to the cab. The mother and cab driver are both looking in the direction she is pointing. Perhaps both can see that there is a large fire ahead. The driver is sitting in his taxi and puts his hands up in a gesture as if to say “Sorry, lady, Even in an emergency Cabs don't go to Harlem.”