(2) K-3 An angry badger faces surprising consequences for his bad behavior in this multilayered picture book. Badger—red-faced, glowering, and dressed in yellow shorts and tattered socks—pulls a mysterious wagon in and out of altercations with his animal peers. Badger trips, shoves, kicks, and pokes—each violent word jumping off the page in bold red text—before skulking off into the woods. His scowling victims then craft a three-part plan to chasten their volatile peer. Their revenge, however, takes a punny turn. In a close-up spread, an oversized, looming Bear hauls back to deliver a mighty "Punch!" to cowering Badger; but after the page-turn, the view pans out to reveal that the punch is the thirst-quenching kind, perfect for sharing. Hall's appealing digital and painted-paper illustrations add to the gag—the blocky, collaged character art lending itself to both exaggerated facial expressions and ambiguous body language. As parts two and three of the plan unfold similarly—an offering of a "Belt!" and a "Sock!" to the disheveled Badger is especially amusing—another, more heart-rending story emerges. Details in the art reveal that Badger isn't just grumpy, he's grieving the death of a beloved friend. Witty and offbeat, this moral tale offers an uncommonly complex lesson in practicing empathy.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) YA Illustrated by Mithil Thaker. In his latest work of narrative nonfiction, Bascomb (recently The Race of the Century, rev. 3/22) delivers a clear and absorbing account of Mohandas Gandhi's ("or, as many of his countrymen called him, 'The Mahatma' [Great Soul]") Salt March and its impact on the world. The book details how Gandhi (1869–1948), educated in London, spent two decades in South Africa developing and applying his theory of nonviolence before returning to India. When he devised his civil disobedience campaign of marching to the sea to collect salt in protest of the heinous British salt tax, he was accompanied by several dozen devout followers. The 1930 march helped to unite the diverse country behind Gandhi and brought attention to the unjust violence of the British occupiers. The book provides perspective on how the Salt March transformed the Indian independence movement in important ways, although complete independence would not happen for another fifteen years. Bascomb covers a lot of ground in these pages, in terms of both chronology and geography. A map would have been welcome, but portraits of the leading characters preface the narrative, and occasional black-and-white illustrations add visual interest. A bibliography, source notes, and an index (unseen) are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. The prolific author-illustrator couple (most recently The Story of the Saxophone, rev. 1/23) teams up again to offer this inspiring picture-book biography of the late human rights and civil rights icon. Cline-Ransome's reverent narrative gracefully captures Lewis's (1940–2020) humility and perseverance. Growing up in a farming family in Alabama, young John learned about love from the Bible at an early age. He felt its presence everywhere he went -- except when he encountered the discriminatory realities of Jim Crow laws. "Election day meant Whites Only could pick the laws, mayors, and presidents. John hated that colored folks had to stick to picking cotton." Inspired by a radio sermon delivered by Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis left home at seventeen to attend the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville. As he learned about practices of nonviolent resistance, his commitment to end segregation through nonviolent protest was unwavering. Beaten and arrested, yet undeterred, he led prolonged sit-ins; rode buses as a Freedom Rider; spoke at the March on Washington calling for jobs and freedom; and led the march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, that ended in state police violence. Ransome's distinctive illustrations, created with a combination of found, printed, and purchased paper with pencil drawings, perfectly match Cline-Ransome's telling and dramatically radiate the magnitude of Lewis's influence. An author's note, a timeline, sources for quotations, and a selected bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Magdalena Mora. "¡Parque sí, policía no!" This fictionalized account -- narrated by a young person -- shares the dramatic culmination of efforts by Chicane residents of Barrio Logan to build Chicano Park in San Diego in 1970. When the city began building a police station in the space where the community had long called for a park, residents launched a protest to physically block the construction. Águila weaves together images of daily life in Barrio Logan with community members' experiences of the city's lengthy neglect and environmental racism against their community, to tell the story of the fight to build the park, which was ultimately successful. Spanish vocabulary and slogans used by Chicane and other Latine activists are interspersed throughout the text and illustrations. Mora employs a blend of vivid colors, sepia tones, and pastel hues to highlight the intensity of the struggle and the everyday beauty for which the protesters were fighting, ending with depictions of the inspiring murals that residents eventually painted in the park. Although the story seems condensed, an author's note explains the rapid succession of this phase of the protest and provides more details about the ongoing discrimination suffered by the community. Concurrently published in Spanish as El barrio se levanta.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Gregory R. Christie. In a sophisticated, poetic picture-book biography, Duncan alternates double-page spreads featuring prose or poems in a variety of forms that highlight Coretta Scott King's accomplishments. ("I wanted to capture the musical quality of her voice and bearing.") Each poem highlights a significant date, such as 1927, which opens the book: "Alabama soil / A fertile plain of black earth / Coretta was born." Lengthy prose sections expand on the poems' topics or move the narrative forward. From her childhood in Alabama under Jim Crow to college in Ohio and studying music in Boston, Coretta followed her mother's encouragement to "get an education and try to be somebody" and her father's assurance that she could "do anything anyone else can do." After Coretta's marriage to Martin Luther King Jr., Duncan describes how the husband-and-wife team became the prominent faces of the civil rights movement and ardent proponents of nonviolent protest. Following MLK's assassination, Coretta continued the mission and worked to establish a national holiday in honor of her husband. Duncan's reverent tone gleams thanks to an effective combination of forthright prose and eclectic poetic forms. Christie conveys the highlights of Coretta's life story in vivid and engaging watercolor renderings. A timeline and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) YA Williams and Long provide readers with a complex narrative of the 1963 March on Washington that goes beyond Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech. They begin with the 1962 meeting between Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph, where the two decided the time had come for the march that Randolph had conceived more than twenty years earlier. By starting at this point, Williams and Long are able to highlight the many challenges (governmental resistance; disagreements among the organizers) and triumphs that took place before, during, and (briefly) after the march itself. Photos, newspaper clippings, and other primary-source images bring the history to life for young readers. Throughout the text, sidebars add important historical information and questions to consider. Back matter includes additional interesting facts ("Extra Steps"), discussion questions, extensive source notes, and an index (unseen); an opening note addresses word choice and the use of quotes containing racist language (including the n-word). Pair with Lewis and Aydin's March series (March: Book One, rev. 1/14; and sequels).

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jeffrey Boston Weatherford. Mary Hamilton was a teacher, a ­Freedom Rider, a CORE regional director, and an agent of change. Carole Boston ­Weatherford's (Unspeakable, rev. 1/21, and many others) poetic free-verse text provides readers with a brief sketch of Hamilton's extraordinary life before shifting focus to her judicial fight for dignity. Hamilton's nonviolent resistance to injustices of the Jim Crow South led to many encounters with Southern law enforcement, including several arrests, one of which had a resounding impact on the legal world. In an Alabama courtroom, when a white prosecutor disrespectfully called her by her first name, she refused to answer unless he called her "Miss Hamilton," even when she was ordered by the judge to respond. Hamilton was held in contempt of court. The NAACP-backed lawsuits that followed led to an important Supreme Court ruling, which requires judges and lawyers to address all participants in a courtroom with dignity and respect. Jeffery Boston Weatherford's (You Can Fly, rev. 7/16) large, striking scratchboard and collage illustrations, which often incorporate archival photographs, complement the clear narrative. A variety of typefaces are used to accentuate the art and emphasize Hamilton's bold actions. A detailed timeline and a list of further reading round out this impressive volume.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Byron McCray. This necessary backstory of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom illuminates the significant role played by activist Bayard Rustin in that immensely successful event. Born in 1912, Rustin was raised by his grandmother on Quaker values of nonviolence and awareness of injustices suffered by fellow African Americans. In later years, he "put his feelings about equality and pacifism into action." Undeterred in his resolve, he was beaten, arrested, and jailed for refusing to give up his seat on a bus or to fight in World War II. Upon his return from India, where he traveled to learn about nonviolent protest from Gandhi's followers, he introduced the philosophy to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It became the strategy that anchored the civil rights movement. Although rebuked and sidelined because he was gay, Rustin remained committed to his personal cause of equality for all. Weatherford and Sanders's engaging and fluid narrative is accentuated with titles of protest songs, alluding to Rustin's love of music and its importance in the civil rights movement. Acrylics in bold, vibrant colors with collage elements convey the quiet, unassuming demeanor of Rustin as well as the triumphant spirit of the March on Washington. Back matter includes a timeline, information on music and peaceful protests, a copy of the official program, and references.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(3) YA Nonviolent bandit Black Bart (a.k.a. Charles Boles) used manners and moxie to rob stagecoaches--never firing a shot and always saying please. This biography also weaves in information about the California Gold Rush; the Wells Fargo Stagecoach Co.; and detective Jim Hume, who caught Bart. Illustrated with well-selected black-and-white drawings and archival photos, the book captures a fascinating slice of American history. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Anjali's family joins India's freedom movement in 1942, opposing both Britain's control and India's caste system. The complexities of nonviolent protest (ahimsa) are insightfully depicted as Anjali confronts ingrained prejudices and discovers that unchecked privilege can cause well-meaning advocates to hurt rather than help oppressed groups. An authentic, candid look at a fight for social change, inspired by Kelkar's great-grandmother's experience. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 Ordinary People Change the World series. Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. From childhood anecdotes ("I was shy... I spent most of my time with books") to the discrimination he faced to development of his Satyagraha ("Truth Force"), the scope of Gandhi's struggles and accomplishments is conveyed. There's some gentle moralizing, but it's well delivered via this biography series' child-friendly setup: a chatty first-person narrative and cartoon art with occasional comics-style frames. Photos are appended. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 Turning Points series. In these volumes in a well-researched series focusing on crucial historical moments, the assassinations of American icons Kennedy and King are relayed in fascinating detail--from the demeanor of the subjects just before their deaths to the assassins' escape plans. Large glossy photographs are included throughout, along with sidebars providing background or expanding on information. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Turning Points titles: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy and The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr..

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Evan Turk. After young Arun Gandhi tosses a pencil nub away in rebellion, he comes to understand the ways in which he can "be the change you wish to see in the world." Turk's artwork is stunning in color and composition, providing visual clarity to heady concepts. From the creators of Grandfather Gandhi, another valuable title for showing the human side of the seminal figure that is Gandhi.

Reviewer: Sam Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2016

(3) K-3 Ordinary People Change the World series. Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. From childhood anecdotes through the March on Washington, the scope of King's struggles and accomplishments is conveyed. There's some gentle moralizing ("it's better to have more love in your life than more hate"), but it's well delivered via this biography series' child-friendly setup: a chatty first-person narrative and cartoon art with occasional comics-style frames. Photos are appended. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Legendary Leaders series. These titles offer a superficial first glance at the lives of six influential leaders (all male), their accomplishments/impact on others, and their place in history. The historical photos, paintings, and drawings add depth to brief texts that align to Common Core Standards. Appended lists of quick stats and key dates may be helpful when writing reports. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Legendary Leaders titles: Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Cesar Chavez, George Washington, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Leaders Doing Headstands series. Illustrated by Patrick Ballesteros. These two informative texts in a new series about the childhoods of famous people contain somewhat advanced vocabulary and a mix of direct quotes (in bold) and imagined dialogue. Ballesteros's cartoonish style downplays the serious experiences that shaped Martin Luther King Jr.; Grivina's illustrations (Earhart) are more well matched. Afterwords and Common Core–focused discussion questions are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Leaders Doing Headstands titles: When Amelia Earhart Built a Roller Coaster and When Martin Luther King Jr. Wore Roller Skates.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Evan Turk. Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, Arun, who angers easily, feels he will never live up to the Gandhi name. Gandhi explains that he, too, feels anger but has learned to channel it for good. Unusual for its child-centered portrait of Gandhi, the graceful narrative is matched by vivid mixed-media illustrations, rendered in watercolor, paper collage, cotton fabric, yarn, gouache, pencil, tea, and tinfoil.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. A grandfather tells his grandson about the 1930 Salt March undertaken by Gandhi and thousands of Indians, including the old man (as a boy) and his brother, in the fight for India's independence. The glowing watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations reflect the text's idealism, but the story is a good introduction to the event and Gandhi's work. An afterword provides more context. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) YA Days of Decision series. These slim books provide solid analysis of pivotal events in world history and the decision-makers who affected them. Report writers and debaters will find useful and pertinent background information; readers are encouraged to consider questions and dilemmas faced by leaders and historians. The pages are overly busy with archival photos, captions, sidebars, maps, and other graphics. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Days of Decision titles: Gandhi and the Quit India Movement, Hitler and Kristallnacht, and Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. In 1930 Mohandas Gandhi led a twenty-four-day march to protest British laws prohibiting Indians from harvesting or selling salt. McGinty captures the power of the event in rich, celebratory prose. Mixed-media illustrations, full of sweeping horizons, beatific faces, and dramatic light, enhance the reverent tone. Together, text and imagery establish a conspicuous glorification at odds with Gandhi’s humility. Appended with scrupulous source notes.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013