School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Adler presents biographical sketches of several individuals and the defining actions or events in their lives as they relate to the roles they played during the Civil Rights Movement. The information is brief, ranging from four to seven short paragraphs, thus giving more of a snapshot of the person and/or incident rather than facts. Fannie Lou Hamer, Lyndon Baines Johnson, James Meredith, and Earl Warren are among those included. The format is attractive, with the easy-to-read text facing a full-page illustration. Farnsworth's oil paintings complement the simple presentations by featuring a large portrait of each individual, with one or more smaller pictures of a significant moment superimposed on it. A poignant, sad touch is the addition of a single painted red rose on the pages featuring the heroes who were murdered because of their stand against segregation and inequality. The chronology corresponds sequentially with the information in the book, beginning in Baton Rouge with the African-American boycott of the city's segregated public buses and ending in 1968 with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A detailed list of sources and selected bibliography follow. An engaging introduction to people and events of the era.-Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Thirteen one-page vignettes introduce readers to select civil rights leaders, including both familiar figures (Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks) and less well known (Andrew Goodman, James Earl Chaney). An appended chronology of events between 1953 and 1968 extends the brief sketches. Each profile is accompanied by a formal-looking portrait with embedded related scenes. Bib. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
In this companion to Heroes of the Revolution (2003) and Enemies of Slavery (2004), both illustrated by Donald A. Smith, Adler introduces eight men, two women and three clusters of individuals (the "Little Rock Nine," for instance) who stood up for nonviolent protest during the Civil Rights movement. Opposite one-page narratives that describe their deeds in simple language and highlight their courage in the face of violence, Farnsworth places formal portraits of strong, resolute-looking figures. Both will leave lasting impressions on readers. Though his bibliography will be of more interest to adults than children, Adler closes with a useful chronology, from 1953 to 1968. By adding Earl Warren and LBJ to his roster, he serves up a reminder that African-Americans weren't the only impassioned champions of equal rights. (introduction, source notes) (Collective biography. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Adler uses quotes wisely and well in this attractive picture-book collective biography, billed as a companion to Enemies of Slavery (2004). Thirteen double-page spreads, arranged in roughly alphabetical sequence, introduce civil-rights activists, black and white, and groups whose actions left an impact as they unfolded on buses, at lunch counters, at the polls, and in the courts. Most profiles are of familiar figures, such as King, Abernathy, Parks, but a few individuals (Fred Shuttlesworth and Michael Henry Schwerner, for example) may be new to young readers. The mostly page-long profiles focus strictly on accomplishments in the movement, which, though presented succinctly, still give a clear sense of the history the vicious racism, the protests, and the courage of the many who sought change. As Ralph Abernathy said following the death of Martin Luther King, You can kill the dreamer, but you cannot kill the dream. Farnsworth's large portraits, in thickly applied, warm colors and strong brush strokes, add visual substance to both the people and the struggle.--Zvirin, Stephanie Copyright 2008 Booklist
