Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality

Micheaux Nelson and Bostic’s information-packed picture book examines an overlooked story of civil rights that occurred across town from the school where Ruby Bridges would become the public face of school desegregation on Nov. 14, 1960. On the same day, New Orleans first graders Gail Etienne, Tessie Prevost, and Leona Tate entered McDonogh No. 19 Public School minutes before Bridges headed into William Frantz Elementary. The book’s well-structured format divides the three girls’ experiences into 10 sections. Via lengthy text, “Covered Windows” and “First Day” contextualize occurrences, including protestors outside their classroom, while “Miss Meyers” and “U.S. Marshals” personalize the figures who accompanied the girls throughout their school days. Art in browns, purples, and golds juxtaposes saturated portraits of the girls with sepia-tone scenes of protesters. This affirming look at “three unlikely leaders in small shoes” who “took great strides” concludes with back matter about desegregation nationwide. Ages 7–11. (Nov.)