Leaving Legacies---One Woman At A Time #2

Some days it feels as though for every step forward, we are pushed two steps back.  We look at the past and marvel at the strides taken.  Then, a new incident will make the headlines and we ask ourselves if we have made any progress at all.  Perhaps we need to focus on and raise up those steps forward with larger and louder voices.  If we do this, the negative, the steps back, are diminished.

The first woman to serve in the United States Congress, Jeanette Pickering Rankin, was elected in 1916, four years prior to women being granted the right to vote.  Her words of 

"But I won't be the last."

ring with truth throughout our history.  Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story Of The First Black Woman In Congress (Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, June 1, 2021) written by Alicia D. Williams with artwork by April Harrison speaks to this truth and her personal truth.

Meet three-year-old Shirley St. Hill, a busy little girl who asks way too many questions.

Shortly thereafter, Shirley, her two little sisters and her mother head to Barbados to spend time with her grandmother.  Her mother leaves to return to Brooklyn.  Although missing her mother and father, Shirley settles into her surroundings.  At four years old, she attends school, bravely sitting in the front row.

Back in Brooklyn her parents miss Shirley and her sisters.  Six years later, they return to the United States.  Sharper than her classmates, Shirley moves quickly from a third-grade classroom to an eighth-grade classroom once tutoring of American history is completed.

Fueled by her father's support and privy to listening as he and his friends discuss politics, Shirley gains in her knowledge.  Despite her mother's warnings as she begins high school, Shirley rebels following her instincts in the music she favors and her companionship with boys.

After completion of studies at Brooklyn College, Shirley, ever determined, finally gets a job as a teacher's aide.  At the close of the day as a teacher's aide, she continues to work on another degree and pursues her deep interest in politics and what is being done for people in her community.  She believes change is accomplished through questioning, education, and politics.  She inserts herself into those clubs most promising to the changes she hopes to make.

Despite a deck stacked against her, in 1964 Shirley Chisholm wins a seat in the New York Assembly.  The more people complain about Shirley's determination in making lives better for others, the harder she works.  Four years later, Shirley Chisholm becomes the first African American woman to serve in the United States Congress! 

Author Alicia D. Williams selected those incidents in the life of Shirley St. Hill Chisholm which clearly shaped her character and in turn shaped the character of life for her constituents. She uses these, piece by piece like an architect or engineer, page turn by page turn, to build the formidable person we see in this narrative.  It is poetic the way sentences describe a portion of this woman's life followed by the words:

That girl is ____,

That young lady is____, 

That woman is____, or

That Shirley is____!

You find yourself inwardly cheering for this girl, young lady, woman and Congresswoman each and every time you read the words.  Here is a passage.

She attends political meetings, too.

When she has a question, Shirley bravely

thrusts her hand in the air.  She asks:

Where's the money to make schools

better in her Bedford-Stuyvesant

community?

Why isn't trash picked up regularly?

Why can't Bed-Stuy have as much

police protection as other districts?

That woman is too persistent!

In looking at Shirley St. Hill Chisholm on the front, right, and back, left, of the matching and open dust jacket and book case, one of the first things you notice regardless of her age is the set expression on her face.  This is a human filled with confidence and determination.  The portrait of her on the front is stunning in each and every detail.  It's as if we can hear the words from one of her speeches resonating from that image.

On the back, Shirley sits in the classroom on the island of Barbados at four years old.  She is much smaller than her other classmates but sits calmly with her legs crossed and hands resting on the table.  Her eyes are closed.  She looks the picture of peace, but we readers already know she is poised for action.

A marbled turquoise covers the opening and closing endpapers.  We see hints of this color reflected in Shirley's hair and clothing on the jacket and case.  On the title page is a political button in red, white, and blue with the word Shirley on it.

These pictures by April Harrison

rendered in acrylic and mixed media collage

spanning two pages, full pages, within circles on a single page, or in two-page horizontal panels are as vibrant as the woman and her world portrayed. The variety of paper and patterns fashion a sense of time, place, and the people.  Our focus is drawn to the people depicted in the images because they were Shirley's focus.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  On the right side stands Shirley, holding a paper and pencil close to her chest.  She has a look of peace and persistence on her face.  Off to the left three people, people from her community, question her running for office citing tasks traditionally done by women.  All these people are shown from the waist up and close to the reader.  In the background are buildings found in the area where they live.  Shirley is remembering the words of her father---

Make something of yourself.

It is one thing to admire someone's achievements from afar based upon news commentary, but it quite another to understand what shaped this person.  Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story Of The First Black Woman In Congress by Alicia D. Williams with art by April Harrison does this for readers.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional bookshelves.

To discover more about Alicia D. Williams and April Harrison and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Alicia D. Williams has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  April Harrison has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At Penguin Random House, you can view interior images.

At the Library of Congress, I was able to watch a video of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm giving a speech announcing her intention to run for President of the United States.  You are not allowed to embed the video but the URL is here.  The speech is powerful.

Born sixteen years later, another woman rose through the political ranks in service of her country, her voters and those unable to vote yet.  Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi Calls The House To Order (Little Bee Books, September 7, 2021) written by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Chris Hsu recounts the life of a woman raised in a home where making a difference for the betterment of others was done through political office.  She was taught and believed like those other remarkable Congresswomen before her to take a stand for the common good and remain firm.  She still does.

Nancy D'Alesandro had a hand in politics from an early age,

stuffing envelopes, handing out leaflets,

and waving from a convertible as her father spoke

through a bullhorn during his political campaigns.

When he was sworn in as mayor, she held the Bible.

Her family was (are) devout Catholics, loyal to their country, and Democrats.  Nancy and her five brothers were taught to always lend a hand to those in need.  She attended an all-girls Catholic prep college school as a teenager.

As a political science student in college, can you imagine her joy in meeting first Senator and then President John F. Kennedy?  During her university studies she met Paul Pelosi and they were married a year after she graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D. C.  They were parents five times in six years.  Nancy has some interesting commentary on parenting and politics.

Nancy returned to politics first as a mayoral appointee in San Francisco.  She became the head of the California Democratic Party.  When the widow of a congressman became ill and unable to continue her tenure, she urged Nancy to run for the seat.  And she won! (She is still a representative from the state of California today.)

During her time in Congress, Nancy Pelosi has championed for gay rights, changes in health care and in 2018 she set a record for speaking in defense of "Dreamers" for over eight hours.  She has held the position of House Minority Leader twice and Speaker of the House twice.  She was the first woman to hold both of those positions.

When Carole Boston Weatherford writes, you savor her words.  In this narrative, she finds those facts which define the actions taken by Nancy Pelosi during her lifetime.  As mentioned previously, she includes Nancy's work with her father during his campaigns and after his election.  She follows this with noting his presence during her swearing-in ceremony as a new congresswoman from San Francisco.  Each event supplied by Carole Boston Weatherford is supported by an accompanying quotation from Nancy Pelosi.  This further grounds Carole Boston Weatherford's stated words and fuels a fire you can feel growing.  Here is a passage.

With her hands reaching across the political aisle,

Speaker Pelosi rallied her own party to serve all Americans,

and led the uphill charge to reform health care.

Naysayers doubted that she would succeed.

But Pelosi knew politics like the back of her hand.

"If the gate is locked, we push open the gate.

If we don't push open the gate, we'll pole vault over it.

If that doesn't work, we'll parachute in.

But we're not letting anything stand in the way . . ."

Artist Chris Hsu chooses to place Nancy Pelosi in her seat as she resides over the House of Representatives as the Speaker of the House on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case.  This setting makes a powerful and appropriate place and frame for the title text.  He deftly shows her demeanor as calm and confident, owing to her years of experience.

To the left of the spine, on the back, an interior image is used with her quotation above noted.  She is walking into the House of Representatives hand-in-hand with her granddaughter to be sworn in for her term as Madam Speaker.  They are standing in the doorway with the path spread before them, congresswomen and congressmen standing and applauding on either side of the aisle. (It should be noted that Nancy Pelosi took this oath with her grandchildren and other children surrounding her.)

The carpet in the House of Representatives is the canvas for the opening and closing endpapers.  Between the areas of text on the title page, Chris Hsu has placed Nancy Pelosi, hand over her heart, in front of a waving United States flag.  A gavel is shown on the verso and dedication page.

The illustrations in this book span double pages, edge to edge, and single pages, edge to edge.  They are in full color.  They are lively and indicate a stamina continually shown by this woman.  They complement and elevate the informative and inspiring text.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  It shows President John F. Kennedy giving his inaugural address.  He and those on the balcony with him are in the foreground in full color.  In front of him are a mass of people, women and men of all ages.  They are drawn in muted tones of gray.  Nancy Pelosi was there on this day, already involved in politics, more than sixty years ago.  

At eighty-one years old, this woman still presides over the House of Representatives with poise and purpose.  We know why after reading Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi Calls The House To Order written by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Chris Hsu.  At the close of the book is a biographical timeline and a bibliography.  You will want to have a copy of this title in your personal and professional collections to promote discussions and encourage others who seek a life in service through politics.

In accessing the websites of Carole Boston Weatherford and Chris Hsu by following the link attached to their names, you can learn more about them and their other work.  Carole Boston Weatherford has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.  Chris Hsu has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  At the publisher's website and at Simon & Schuster, you can view interior images.

Honoring Generations And Cultural Traditions

Life leaves marks on every living thing, some are visible, and others are unseen.  These marks symbolize all manner of things, events, encounters, values, or cultural practices.  For many these visible signs or patterns are by choice.  They are badges of honor.  For all, they are reminders.

When these characteristics are noticed by others their reactions vary.  They may be puzzled, curious, accepting, or critical.  One thing is certain; in knowledge there is understanding and in understanding there are bridges not walls.  Nana Akua Goes To School (Schwartz & Wade Books, June 16, 2020) written by Tricia Elam Walker with illustrations by April Harrison is an eloquent account of love in action.

It's Circle Time, Zora's favorite time of the day.  She scoots to a spot next to Theodore and crisscrosses her legs on the rainbow-shaped rug.

As the class listens to their teacher, Mr. Dawson, he reminds them of the following Monday being Grandparents Day.  When the grandparents come to school, they are speaking about

what makes them special.

Zora is worried about her Nana Akua coming to school.  Nana Akua is the most-valued treasure that Zora holds in her heart, but sometimes people make unkind comments about or stare at the tribal marks on her face.

After school and at home, noticing her granddaughter's unhappy face, Nana Akua speaks with Zora and suggests an idea she has.  Zora is not sure, but she agrees to bring the quilt Nana Akua made for her.  On the quilt are Adinkra symbols.  They signify valuable qualities like

beauty and care or
learn from the past
to build the future or
strength and wisdom.

On that Monday both Nana Akua and Zora wear African clothing. Voices in the classroom murmur in appreciation.  One by one the grandparents are introduced and each talks about their unique characteristics or abilities.  After Zora presents her beloved grandmother, Nana Akua faces everyone in the classroom.

She addresses the children with affection and starts with a question.  At one point she stands and walks among the listeners.  She then proposes an activity so all present can achieve greater awareness.  Zora's quilt figures prominently in this endeavor. At the close of this story Zora returns a distinctive gift to her grandmother.


This is a narrative steeped in compassion and gentleness.  The words of Tricia Elam Walker reveal a deep love of parents for children, of grandparents for grandchildren and of grandchildren for their grandparents.  It is built on mutual respect and wisdom.  A beautiful blend of text and conversation envelopes readers and brings them into the world of Zora and her Nana Akua.  Words from other cultures are carefully woven into the story.  Descriptions are poetic.  Here is a passage.

When Zora's paapa brings her home from school, 
Nana Akua, her favorite person in the whole universe,
is peeling potatoes for dinner.  Although Nana's feet
don't even reach the floor, she seems as tall as the giant
playground slide.  Maybe that's because she's filled to
the brim with stories about growing up in West Africa,
where people carve statues out of wood, trees drip with
mangoes, and crayon-colored outdoor markets sell
everything you can imagine. 


There is majesty and sense of purpose present in the images on the front and back of the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  The hues chosen by artist April Harrison are rich, royal and complementary.  On the front, Nana Akua and Zora look forward together; each thinking their own thoughts, but also knowing how they are bound together, heart to heart.  To the left, on the back, a colorful wider oval shape holds a picture of Nana Akua and Zora standing side-by-side in front of the classroom after they enter. This illustration is placed on a canvas that seems to be a wash of many of the shades used in these first two pictures.

On the opening and closing endpapers, placed on a similar background as the back image on the jacket and case, are a series of Adinkra Symbols And Their Meanings.  They number twenty.  Readers look at each one, wondering which might represent them best.  With a page turn we see the verso and title pages.  Readers will pause to read the dedications on the left as well as a note from the author.  On the right, the title page, geometric shapes hold the Adinkra Symbols as the create a frame around the text.

Each vibrant illustration rendered in

mixed-media collage

by April Harrison spans two pages, a full page, or is a wide-shaped oval or circle on a collaged pale background.  Every page turn invites us to pause, enjoying all the intricate details and the expressive facial features on all the characters.  Each carefully placed element contributes to the vibrancy of these images.  There is a current of interconnectedness flowing throughout all these pictures.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a circular picture on a single page.  It is placed on a fusion of textures and hues depicting comfort and calm.  The image is a close-up of Nana Akua and Zora.  Nana Akua has paused her work in peeling potatoes for dinner.  She sits in a sky-blue chair at a sky-blue table with intricate white stenciling on its top.  Her eyes are closed as she wraps her arms around Zora giving her hug.  Zora's eyes are closed, too, in total contentment.


More than once, no matter how many times you read Nana Akua Goes To School written by Tricia Elam Walker with art by April Harrison, you will pause, emotionally moved by the story.  On the final page is a glossary, list of sources and acknowledgments.  It is in celebrating our differences that compassion is elevated.  I highly recommend this title for any collection.

To learn more about Tricia Elam Walker and April Harrison, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Tricia Elam Walker has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  April Harrison has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images.  At author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, this title is featured.  A guest post at We Need Diverse Books is written by author Tricia Elam Walker and is titled, Why Diverse Books Are Important for Everyone---Not Just Marginalized Kids.

An Act Of Charity

There truly is power in the written word.  There is our initial reaction upon first reading it or hearing it read.  It can be revisited again and again, giving us time to reflect on possible meanings, forming and revising thoughts and opinions.  No matter when written its purpose can extend far into the future, a future yet to be imagined.

On April 7, 2017 a master in the use of language passed away from our earthly realm.  There is no possible way to number the countless individuals who benefited from her written words.  What Is Given from the Heart (Schwartz & Wade, January 8, 2019) written by Patricia C. McKissack with illustrations by April Harrison is the last book by a beloved author and the debut picture book of a renowned artist.  The value of what these words and illustrations convey will not fade.

It was a rough few months for Mama and me.
We were already poor, but we got poorer last April, when Daddy went to sleep on the front porch and never woke up.

By the first of summer James Otis and his mama lose their farm and move to a tiny house, with rooms one behind the other in a row, in a low- lying area of land.  Their lives seem to go from worse to much worse.  One day their home is flooded, and the boy's dog runs away.  They survive through the holidays until February arrives.

In church on a Sunday near Valentine's Day, Reverend Dennis announces love boxes will be delivered to those in need.  People in the congregation are asked to give what they can.  One family in particular recently lost everything in a fire.

On the chilly walk home James Otis and Mama talk about what they can give.  The little girl, Sarah, is only seven, two years younger than James Otis.  He wonders what people with nothing can give to others with nothing.  That night in bed possibilities wander around in his mind but he dismisses all of them as he falls asleep.

In the morning James Otis is moved by his mother's act of love for the Temple family.  Every day he wonders what he can give.  Nothing seems exactly right until he remembers one of his cherished possessions.  Can he do the same for Sarah?  On the Sunday of the presentation to the Temple family a response warms all hearts.  A circle of charity (love) is completed when James Otis and Mama near their home.


Children, all readers, will wholly identify with the poignant voice of James Otis as his tale unfolds.  When Patricia McKissack writes this story allowing us to see the world through a child's eyes, it enters our hearts and stays there.  Specific sentences define the poverty with heart wrenching clarity. 

Mama cried and cried, 
'cause Daddy didn't have a suit to be buried in.

Strength of character is revealed in the words of Mama as she speaks with James Otis.  It's not just her words that move him, though, but her actions.  Patricia McKissack shows us how love evolves through the ponderings of James Otis as he struggles to find a gift for Sarah.  Here is a passage.

As time flew toward Valentine's Day, I fretted more and more.
I considered giving Sarah a puzzle.  It didn't bother me that two pieces
were missing but it might bother her.  Unh-unh, that wouldn't do, 
not even with a bow on it.  And neither would my capeless Superman
Halloween costume.


Looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case readers are given views, two different views of expressed love.  Rendered

in mixed media, including acrylics, collage, art pens, and found objects

artist April Harrison through a blend of bold and delicate lines, various textures and muted, earth tones brings a natural warmth to her illustrations.  By featuring Mama and James Otis on the front, we can see how her strength literally and figuratively envelopes him.  To the left, on the back, a picture of Sarah allows us to see the gift James Otis gives her and her happy reaction.

The marbled background seen on the jacket and case is replicated on the opening and closing endpapers, verso (dedication) and title pages.  The images, full-page and double-page, bring a very real sense of place and time to the readers.  Details, a calendar and family photographs on the walls, artwork on the refrigerator and a blue ribbon hanging in James Otis's bedroom, further our connection to the characters.

The affection between a son and his mother is shown in their frequent embraces, facial expressions, and general physical closeness.  April Harrison brings us close to James Otis and Mama for some of the illustrations and moves us farther away in others.  This gives us an idea of the place where they reside. 

One of my many favorite illustrations is on the first evening when James Otis is awake in bed, thinking about what to give Sarah.  On the wall next to a tiny, narrow window hangs his blue ribbon and a family picture.  On his small dresser sits his shiny rock , whistle, and several books.  He is covered with a quilt made by his mama.  On a rug on the wooden floor is his puzzle, missing two pieces.  James Otis looks worried.  How many of us have spent hours in bed thinking and worrying and trying to figure out what is best?


When a book like What Is Given from the Heart written by Patricia C. McKissack with illustrations by April Harrison is read, it brings to each reader a message.  For some it will be the same and for others, it will be different.  What is certain is that this book will be remembered.  Love remains.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Patricia C. McKissack and April Harrison and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Patricia C. McKissack has several videos at her website you will enjoy watching.  April Harrison has an account on Instagram.  Here is the link to The New York Times obituary for Patricia C. McKissack.  The artwork for this book is highlighted at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  You can also view interior images at a publisher's website.