She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland

A son pays tribute to his mother in this picture book biography of civil rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland. The younger Mulholland, who previously produced a documentary about his mother’s activism, pairs with Fairwell to highlight key moments in Joan’s fight against racism. From an early age, Southern-born Joan, who is white, sensed the injustices African-Americans were suffering. “When Joan and Mary reached the black schoolhouse, Joan stopped and stared. It was not like the brand-new brick school for the white children.... Joan’s soul was rattled.” She participated in demonstrations and Freedom Rides, was arrested, attended an all-black college, and joined lunch-counter sit-ins. Janssen’s (The Secret of Three Butterpillars) evocative mixed-media collages tap into the turbulence of the events discussed; aqua, rust, and drab greens provide the only color, melding with photographs, drawings, maps, newspaper headlines, diary entries, and official documents. The clear, direct narrative contextualizes Joan’s actions within the larger movement while explaining words like segregation for young audiences. A brief civil rights timeline is included, and a middle grade edition of the book (with the same title) is available simultaneously. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)