Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A vibrantly illustrated account of the Birmingham Children's Crusade through the eyes of a young girl who volunteers to participate.Morrison's signature style depicts each black child throughout the book as a distinct individual; on the endpapers, children hold signs that collectively create a "Civil Rights and the Children's Crusade" timeline, placing the events of the book in the context of the greater movement. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes to speak at her church, a girl and her brother volunteer to march in their parents' stead. The narrative succinctly explains why the Children's Crusade was a necessary logistical move, one that children and parents made with careful consideration and despite fear. Lines of text ("Let the children march. / They will lead the way // The path may be long and / troubled, but I'm gonna walk on!") are placed within the illustrations in bold swoops for emphasis. Morrison's powerful use of perspective makes his beautiful oil paintings even more dynamic and conveys the intensity of the situations depicted, including the children's being arrested, hosed, and jailed. The child crusaders, regardless of how badly they're treated, never lose their dignity, which the art conveys flawlessly. While the children win the day, such details as the Confederate flag subtly connect the struggle to the current day. A powerful retrospective glimpse at a key event. (timeline, afterword, artist's statement, quote sources, bibliography) (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In a picture book based on the 1963 Children's Crusade in racially charged Birmingham, Alabama, an unnamed young African American girl narrates her experiences. She marches in the nonviolent protests against segregation, witnesses her fellow marchers being attacked by dogs, and is jailed. A strong, poetic text is accompanied by remarkable oil paintings that capture the emotions on the faces of protesters and counter-protesters alike. Timeline. Bib. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.