When fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin boarded a segregated bus on March 2, 1955, she had no idea she was about to make history. At school she was learning about abolitionists like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, which helped inspire her decision to refuse to give up her seat to a white woman, which led to her arrest, which began a crucial chain of events: Rosa Park's sit-in nine months later, the organization of the Montgomery bus boycott by activists like Professor Jo Ann Robinson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Supreme Court decision that Alabama's bus segregation was unconstitutional--a major triumph for the civil rights movement.
Because of Claudette's brave stand against injustice, history was transformed. Now it's time for young readers to learn about this living legend, her pivotal role in the civil rights movement, and the power of one person reaching out to another in the fight for change.
Tonya Engel is an artist who has had studios in New York, Paris, Austin, and Houston, where she lives now. Figurative and full of symbolism, her work is influenced by both folk artists of the Deep South and contemporary masters like Frida Kahlo and Marc Chagall. She is also the illustrator of My Hair Is Magic and Rise!, a picture book biography about Maya Angelou.
Melissa Stewart is a children's science book author.
Highly recommend this new book from @TraceyBaptiste It connects important events from the past, makes a great read aloud, and the cause-and-effect text structure is perfect for informational writing units. #amreading #tcrwp #nonfiction #WritingCommnunity #SibertSmackdown
Kate Messner is a children's book author.
Look at all the starry reviews attached to @TraceyBaptiste & @tonyaengel's BECAUSE CLAUDETTE! It's a gorgeous picture book that explores the powerful series of events Claudette Colvin set in motion when she refused to give up her seat on a bus. #ALAAC22 https://t.co/QlFxZzKzkF
School Library Journal is the largest reviewer of kids & YA content, from books to digital. Serving up tweets: the editors of SLJ.
Starred Review: "Because Claudette" by Tracey Baptiste A gorgeous tribute to a young Black activist that will inspire many readers. Add this to all picture book biography shelves. Luminous. https://t.co/tr53VITksh https://t.co/ZKoXYyX68U
*"A gorgeous tribute to a young Black activist that will inspire many readers. Add this to all picture book biography shelves. Luminous."--School Library Journal, starred review
*"A powerful narrative that showcases generative energy of acts of resistance both big and small."--Publishers Weekly, starred review
*"This approachable biography of the young activist highlights her bravery, commitment, and vulnerability. Young readers will appreciate learning about a regular kid who did something extraordinary. . . . An engaging profile of an inspiring civil rights hero whom readers will enjoy learning about and cheering for."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"The book's unusual title echoes the many sentences beginning with the word because and forming a chain of connected circumstances and events. . . . Created with acrylic underpainting and oils, the vivid illustrations capture the look of the times and the satisfaction of those who challenged injustice and prevailed. An effective picture book portraying Colvin and her significance in the civil rights movement."--Booklist