(2) K-3 Illustrated by Benny Andrews. Born in 1930 in Georgia, Andrews defied social expectations by leaving the farm, attending high school, earning a BFA degree, and becoming a renowned painter in an art world still unwelcoming to artists of color. Benson expertly crafts the narrative around original Andrews paintings, notable for their focus on autobiographical elements and experiences of prejudice as well as for the expressionistic stylization of figures. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Benny Andrews. The authors follow Lewis (a twenty-year veteran in Congress) from his student years as an aspiring minister and admirer of Martin Luther King Jr. to his leading role in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches of 1964. The authors' spare, understated narration renders the courage of Lewis and his fellow nonviolent protestors even more telling. Andrews's expertly composed oils and fabric collages enhance the drama. Timeline.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2007

(4) K-3 Count Your Way series. Illustrated by Megan Moore. After brief introductions, the authors translate the numbers one through ten, including culturally relevant but randomly presented items: "Four women wear burkas"; "Ten wrestlers train together." Each spread includes a colorful if amateurish painting as backdrop in addition to the Arabic numeral, the numeral notation and pronunciation in Pashto (Afghanistan) or Farsi (Iran), and an explanatory paragraph. Review covers these Count Your Way titles: Count Your Way through Afghanistan and Count Your Way through Iran.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Count Your Way series. Illustrated by Farida Zaman. After brief introductions, the authors translate the numbers one through ten, including culturally relevant but randomly presented items: "Four women wear burkas"; "Ten wrestlers train together." Each spread includes a colorful if amateurish painting as backdrop in addition to the Arabic numeral, the numeral notation and pronunciation in Pashto (Afghanistan) or Farsi (Iran), and an explanatory paragraph. Review covers these Count Your Way titles: Count Your Way through Afghanistan and Count Your Way through Iran.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Count Your Way series. Illustrated by Janie Jaehyun Park. After a brief introduction to the country, the authors translate the numbers one through ten, including culturally relevant but randomly presented items: "Two favorite foods in Zimbabwe are sadza and nyama." Each spread includes a colorful if fairly amateurish painting as backdrop in addition to the Arabic numeral, its spelling and pronunciation in Shona, and an explanatory paragraph.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Great Journeys series. Freedom's Star uses the stories of two escaped slaves, Harriet Jacobs and John P. Parker, as focal points in relating the history of the Underground Railroad. Border presents a broad picture of Mexican-American life from sixteenth-century Spanish exploration to the present. Both clearly written volumes in this series are accompanied by black-and-white reproductions and photos. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Great Journeys titles: Following Freedom's Star and North Across the Border.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 The readable text profiles a number of African-American magicians, including Richard Potter, the first American-born magician, various performers who worked the minstrel and vaudeville show circuit, and contemporary figures such as David Blaine, known for his "street magic." The book contains appealing black-and-white photographs and reproductions; sidebars describe specific feats associated with individual magicians. Bib, ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Melanie Reim. A fluid text provides adequate background on Woodson: son of former slaves, historian, Harvard Ph.D., and the man who established Negro History Week, which would eventually become Black History Month. An artist's note provides information on the mural-like illustrations. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) 4-6 Great Journeys series. Four history-making migrations are documented through narrative text, testimony (song lyrics, verse, letters, diary entries), and a wealth of black-and-white images (maps, drawings, paintings, photos). These primers place particular emphasis on the humanity of both subject (in Darkness, two individuals are tracked over fifty years) and reader ("What do you feel when you see this picture?" asks one caption). Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. The book briefly discusses slavery practiced as the result of war or debts, but the major focus is the practice of slavery based on the race of the enslaved. The writing is crisp and is liberally punctuated with brief quotes from works by slave traders, slaves, and those whose lives came in contact with both. Historical prints and photographs and Cooper's paintings support and extend the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson

(3) 4-6 Long before there were slave ships heading to the New World with human cargo from Africa, the continent was home to several advanced societies. Full-page illustrations accompany the brief, cogent selections about communities and kingdoms that flourished from 3800 B.C.E. to C.E. 1800, and were peopled with warriors, scientists, physicians, goldsmiths, and more. This introductory information will whet readers' interest. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.