(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

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Benny Andrews. Belton's fictional text honors Josephine Carroll Smith, an extraordinary African-American educator and mentor who died in 1997 at the age of 103. In the story, "Miss Josie" welcomes a young boy into her Washington, D.C., home for a visit just as she had welcomed the boy's father when he was an impoverished student. Brightly colored, well-composed illustrations complement the text's tone and mood.

Reviewer: Michael Santangelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2003

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Benny Andrews. After Gran dies, Louis, who is blind, chooses to keep her favorite hickory chair as a reminder of her love for and special understanding of him. It isn't until many years later that he discovers Gran's note willing the chair to him inside its seat. The story, with its distinctive oil and collage illustrations, has appeal, though the plot isn't entirely convincing.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 The rhyming text stumbles; the illustration soars. Andrews turns this sweet, somewhat shaky story of a plantation wedding in slavery days into a homespun Cinderella tale with heart. The fabric collages suit the story's emphasis on cloth--the main event is the making of a wedding dress from Big House throwaways--and the wooden-doll-like figures are characters in a folk drama of great subtlety and sophistication.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.