Starred Review This picture book opens by telling of life in Huntsville, Alabama, in 1962, during the Jim Crow era. While the city takes pride in its world-renowned space center, a black family cannot eat in a whites-only restaurant. Not allowed to try on shoes, a black child draws the outline of her feet on a piece of paper and takes it to the store. When African Americans push for change, they meet resistance. But they persevere. Working with leaders in the white community, they gradually, peacefully break down barriers, gaining equal access to stores, restaurants, and, in 1963, public schools. In an appended note, Bass offers more local details as well as a broader perspective. The use of present tense gives a great sense of immediacy to the text as it transports readers into the past to watch events unfold. The relatively peaceful changes in Huntsville are briefly contrasted with the violence in Birmingham around the same time. Capturing the period with finesse, Lewis' expressive watercolor paintings record the events and settings in beautifully composed scenes. His portrayal of people is particularly fine, conveying the personalities, attitudes, and emotions of individuals as well as the essential dignity of the nonviolent protesters. A valuable introduction to the civil rights period.

Gr 2-5 This gentle, reflective book shares a story of the civil rights movement, one that is perhaps less known but no less powerful than many others. Huntsville, AL, was considered a space center, with NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and a few supporting satellite companies in the area, and the call for change that was sweeping through the South followed a slightly different path in this town. Bass shares how African Americans looking for change pursued many of the same avenues that were used throughout the country including boycotts and sit-ins. But unlike the violent clashes that occurred in other communities between white residents and protestors, the people of Huntsville were a bit more reluctant to use violence. Many white citizens relied on the space industry for their income, and to antagonize the federal government could mean the loss of jobs and a weakening of the local economy, and thus, a more peaceful transition to desegregation and more equal treatments happened in Huntsville than in many other places. Lewis's trademark watercolor paintings pair perfectly with this lyrical recounting of events, and he masterfully moves between detailed illustrations depicting faces of grim determination of lunch counter patrons to the more impressionistic scenes of protesters facing water hoses. The book covers quite a bit of ground, both in time and content and can be long for a read-aloud, but it's well worth the time to share such a moving, inspirational story. Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA