TOGETHER WE MARCH: A Look Back At the Power of Peaceful Protest

 For short periods of time, young people have grown up without "marches" being in the news. This picture book is a valuable reminder that marching for a cause has always been a part of our American and global history and heritage. As the introduction says, when people combine the efforts of their feet, voices, signs, and mutual support, they become a force to be reckoned with. In the most basic sense, this is evident in sporting events, in which the cause is victory for your favored team.

On a more substantial note, though, are the many marches that seek/sought to serve the public good. Even when the specifics focus on a target need or identity group or rights, protesting and achieving progress toward equality and justice for those causes improves the broader society in which we all live.

Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2021

TOGETHER WE MARCH: 25 Protest Movements That Marched Into History, is written by Leah Henderson and illustrated by Tyler Feder. It is yet another praiseworthy nominee  for a CYBILS AWARDS for nonfiction. I suspect that one of the challenges of compiling these twenty-five accounts involved deciding among hundreds that occurred (and MATTERED) throughout history. The author introduction ends with a note that the final cut includes "overlooked stories, revered moments, and courageous people" whose work to change the world provides lessons for all of us across time. Some will be familiar, even to young readers, and others will be   new introductions.

I respect that criteria and believe it has benefited the book and the young readers. Once those choices were made, a chronological approach was used, and that meant the first movement of this collection is the   leadership of MOTHER JONES, marching in defense of childhood and in protest of child labor.

That is a sure fire way to hook kids into reading and becoming inspired by these brief profiles. This march through time (pardon that pun) allows for some causes to recur, particularly related to race, peace, and rights. Each is a two page spread with colorful spot illustrations that anchor events in the general awareness of historic eras through clothing and other cultural details, with effective small spots to support comprehension (maps, flags, icons, etc.). The causes and their leaders are diverse, including various ethnicities, skin colors, global identities, abilities/disabilities, lgbtqia/gender identities. 

Many contemporary readers may be surprised to see concerns in current events reflected across continents and a century of marching: peace, voting, the environment/climate, immigration, labor, social justice, and more. The final entry accounts marches for social justice following the George Floyd murder, with a satisfying concluding note from the author. This is followed by a colorfully illustrated timeline, anchoring each of the twenty-five movements across the last century-plus. It's a helpful way to note patterns and similarities in causes, as well as diversity among those who choose to organize and march. The next page turn provides a selected bibliography that is also formatted with more kid-appeal than most- identifying each movement and citing the source of quotations. 

This is a powerful and very accessible approach to bringing background and meaning to the current political and other public protests, marked with visible indicators of the overall theme, reinforced through illustrated protest sign slogans. 

First and foremost is "TOGETHER WE MARCH", underscoring the power in unity and community. Also, and importantly, this theme rings true throughout each profile and as a summation of the book:

"NONE OF US IS FREE UNTIL ALL OF US ARE FREE"

 

MLB Baseball's Opening Day: Plenty to Celebrate!

I'm a baseball fan (Go, Brewers!). Among the many reasons that the past year was notable, missing out on a normal baseball season (fill-in-the-blank with any/all sports) is NOT at the level of a tragedy. On the other hand, as various sports managed to resume some version of a season (again, in the sport of your choice) that fact did seem to provide considerable relief and release for the much of the American public.

In the case of baseball, even with a retractable dome over our home field, the players are widely spread out the open air, which is a central feature of the game, and attendance capacity has been set at 25%.

So, YAY!

Regardless of whether or not this is a typical season, the start of baseball season is a certain a sign of SPRING as anyone could ask for: of warmer weather, of gatherings, of better days ahead. Even if tailgates are not allowed. Even if masks and distances and food management feel less than typical, I said it before, and i say it again:  YAY!

In the name of retaining my own traditions,  I am eager to share several baseball picture books on OPENING DAY. And this time it is in celebration of a young woman who embraced what was meant to be a derogatory nickname, PEANUT. 

MAMIE ON THE MOUND is written by Leah Henderson and illustrated by George Doutsiopoulos. Mamie "PEANUT" Johnson was a baseball fan from her earliest days, and she loved pitching. She WORKED at it, building up the muscles, eye-hand coordination, and confidence to [play with the boys, then alter the men. That nickname indicates thatch had to earn their respect, and she did. She was NOT able to play with the elite women players, who also had some impressive skills. 

Was she good enough? Certainly. 

Was she White? Certainly not.

So, her baseball option was limited to trying out and playing with the Negro League, which she did. Even as a young mother, she left her baby in the care of the father while she traveled the Negro league circuit for three years before stepping away. the rest of her life was successful, but throughout her life she counted those three years as the best of her life. 

What a terrific profile this is of a young woman who would not take no for an answer. Mamie’s love of baseball and her confidence in her value, talent, and hard work meant that every NO she faced was met with a work-around or determination to make her way beyond the obstacles.

I've shared other baseball picture books, as I mentioned above. Check out some of them 

HERE and HERE and HERE,

While you're at it, consider giving this lively, inspiring picture book a look, too!

HOME BASE: A Mother-Daughter Story , written by Nikki Tate and illustrated by Kathi Kath. It's a charming STEM/STEAM/MAKER -linked text that uses parallels in text, word choice/order, and illustration to portray a young girl seeking to succeed at baseball with her mother pursuing a job/career in construction/hardscaping. Their emotional, physical, and social journeys to success are well developed and encourage prediction, connection, and "read it again" fun.