October 23, 2017
Clark-Robinson’s stirring debut unfolds through the resolute voice of a (fictional) African-American girl participating in the 1963 Children’s Crusade, during which young residents of Birmingham, Ala., marched to protest segregation. “Dr. King told us the time had come to march,” the girl explains. Her parents can’t risk losing their jobs, so she, her brother, and thousands of their peers volunteer to serve as “Dr. King’s army” (“This burden, this time, did not have to be theirs to bear”). Morrison’s dynamic oil paintings viscerally expose the protesters’ courage and fear, as well as the anger of white onlookers and police who sic dogs on the marchers and blast them with hoses before locking many in jail. The children’s refrains (“Singing the songs of freedom, one thousand strong we came”) are displayed like banners across the pages, emphasizing collective strength in the face of brutal violence. The narrator’s conclusion, “Our march made the difference,” serves as a powerful reminder for today’s readers about their own ability to fight for justice and equality. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words.

October 15, 2017
Grades 2-4 Nearly 55 years ago, an antisegregation march that came to be known as the Children's Crusade was instrumental in pushing President Kennedy and Congress to adopt the Voting Rights Act. That historic event is chronicled here in a semifictional narrative from the perspective of one of the young participants in Birmingham in 1963. Bolstered by Dr. King's assurances, the children endure snarling dogs, water hoses, and jail, emerging exhausted but undefeated. Morrison's lush oil paintings illustrate Clark-Robinson's terse descriptions, bringing to life the determination of the marchers, the brutality of the police, and the stifling heat of the packed jail cells without sugarcoating the reality. This remarkable story remains relevant today as young readers think about their roles in the ongoing struggle for justice. Teachers who use this book might scaffold it with additional resources that teach about the intensive planning and organization that went into this and other activist campaigns.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
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.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2017
For nearly a week in racially charged 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, hundreds of young people under the age of eighteen joined the Children's Crusade and were harassed, beaten, and thrown in jail for their nonviolent protests against segregation. In a picture book based on these events, an unnamed girl takes readers through the African American community's difficult decision to undertake the march, and the harrowing journey that followed. The decision to let the children march wasn't an easy one for the adults to make. But as Martin Luther King Jr. said, it was ultimately agreed that the children were doing a job for not only themselves, but for all of America and all mankind. We follow the young girl as she marches in the face of hatred, with Courage by [her] side; witnesses her fellow marchers being attacked by dogs; and is jailed. She emerges to the news that desegregation will finally begin in Birmingham. A strong, poetic text ( We heard that the next day, and / the next, more kids marched. / The water hoses they used to sting us / could not stop our fierce tide ) is accompanied by remarkable oil paintings that capture the emotions on the faces of protesters and counter-protesters alike. While the last page hints at a rather rushed optimism about racial harmony, the art throughout is a vibrant representation of the determination and courage of the civil rights movement. A nuanced account that could inspire the youngest readers to make a big difference. Appended with an afterword, source notes, a timeline, and a brief bibliography. eboni njoku

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from November 1, 2017
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)

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Starred review from November 1, 2017

K-Gr 3-The youth of the Birmingham civil rights movement take center stage in this historical picture book. Clark-Robinson narrates from the voice of an unnamed girl, using simple language to tell the story of the momentous events surrounding the arrest and jailing of hundreds of children protesting racial segregation. The narrator states bluntly, "There were so many things I couldn't do." Much of the text will provoke questions and important conversations between children and adult readers. The experiences of segregation are sensitively depicted by Morrison. A playground behind a tall sharp fence sets the stage, while portrait-quality oil paintings of the children and civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. fill the rest of the pages. The defiance, determination, and passion comes through clearly on the faces of the figures. An afterword and author's and illustrator's notes provide additional information, as does a cleverly illustrated time line on the endpapers. VERDICT A highly readable historical account which deserves a place on picture book and nonfiction shelves alike.-Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

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