(2) K-3 Illustrated by Charly Palmer. Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) is remembered for his "wide, warm smile"--but the hope that fueled that smile was difficult to maintain. As a child and a young man, he worked hard and had hope for his future. When South Africa's apartheid laws were created and enforced, Mandela used his position as a lawyer to defend Black Africans and joined the African National Congress to create a plan for a united and free nation for all. The government sentenced Mandela and other freedom fighters to life in prison, but Mandela didn't let his imprisonment or his anger stop his cause. This detailed picture-book biography, with its comparatively lengthy text, highlights how Mandela used whatever means were at his disposal to continue progressing toward freedom for his people and his country, even under the most restrictive and difficult circumstances. During his decades in prison, for example, he made a difference by connecting with white guards on a human level. By the time the book shows Mandela freed and elected president, the reader is full of admiration for this passionate and talented leader whose dedication earned him the nicknames of Madiba, "honored elder"; and Tata, "beloved Father of a new country." Palmer's dramatic paintings use dynamic brushstrokes to create engaging portraits of the eminently recognizable Mandela and of the world he influenced. Appended with extensive back matter and source notes.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Charly Palmer. The 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery is well known, especially with the death in 2020 of leader John Lewis, which brought renewed ­attention to the historic event. Less known is the teachers' march, which happened six weeks before as part of the larger ­voting rights struggle in Selma. This book ­dramatizes how the teachers planned their protest, risking imprisonment and violence, leaving the classroom and taking to the streets, holding "their toothbrushes in the air, ready to go to jail for freedom." The lively text incorporates lots of dialogue (sources indicated in the back matter), making for dramatic reading, and in particular weaving in the narrative of fifteen-year-old Joyce Parrish and her mother. But the illustrations are the star here, with Palmer's beautifully lit acrylic-on-board paintings that are at times impressionistic or, as he writes in the illustrator's note, "abstract and primal." He effectively plays with perspective--an upward view of Brown Chapel, following the spires to the sky, and a double-page spread showing legs and feet with polished shoes marching down the street. The selected bibliography mainly includes adult books, but many excellent books for young people are available, including Partridge's Marching for Freedom (rev. 11/09), Lewis's March: Book Three (rev. 9/16), and Freedman's Because They Marched (rev. 9/14). A strong addition to the literature on a pivotal event in civil rights history.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Charly Palmer. Erskine's picture book biography about South African resistance singer Miriam Makeba uses driving present tense and an expressionistic prose style, with lyrical sentences alighting on significant apartheid events. Quotes and song lyrics keep the intensity high, as does clever use of words in red, often repeated on the next page. Palmer heightens the sense of urgency with vivid paintings. An extensive author's note is included. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017