Through Georgia's Eyes, by Rachel Rodríguez, illustrated by Julie Paschkis -- Day 49

American artist Georgia O’Keeffe was an observer of the landscape around her all her life – from her growing-up days in Wisconsin, through her art school years and time in Chicago and New York City, to her beloved home in New Mexico. By age twelve she had declared she was going to be an artist – make a life with her art – a bold statement for a woman in the early 1900s. As author Rachel Rodríguez writes in Through Georgia’s Eyes, “Georgia expresses feelings in her own way. Words work. But for her, the color blue says it better.” Color, shape, subtle forms, evocative images…giant flowers and concrete city canyons, red hills and adobe walls. This picture book biography of a daring, creative person who knew what she wanted to do and determinedly made it happen is told in simple, lyrical prose that draws readers squarely into O’Keeffe’s vision of “the wideness and wonder of the world.” Illustrator Julie Paschkis’s cut-paper collages convey the grandeur and the intimacy of O’Keeffe’s unique style, perfectly complementing the story. An endnote provides readers with additional details of this exceptional artist’s life. Ages 5-8.

Another wonderful picture book biography of Georgia O’Keeffe is author and artist Jeanette Winter’s My Name is Georgia. Young readers might read both and compare them, an artistic exercise in itself, particularly when viewed alongside actual reproductions of the artist’s work. 

Wilma Rudolph: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by David Diaz -- Day 48

Wilma Rudolph was not a strong little girl. She was often sick, and before she turned five she contracted polio, a dreaded disease in the United States in the 1940s. Partially paralyzed, Wilma was told she would not walk on her own again, but that did not stop her. Her large and loving family encouraged her; she diligently practiced the exercises her doctor recommended, eventually enabling her to use a brace and to attend school. Still, walking with a brace kept her from many school activities. When she was finally able to walk without it, she felt her life was starting over. She excelled at basketball, and a coach helped her win a full scholarship to college. At the age of twenty, eight years after discarding her brace, Wilma traveled to Rome as part of the U.S. Olympic team. Despite an ankle injury and public pressure (with the Olympics televised for the first time), Wilma won the 100-yard dash, then the 200-yard dash and the 400-yard team relay, earning her three gold medals and the distinction of being the first woman to win three in a single Olympics. Wilma Rudolph: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman is an inspiring biographical picture book. Kathleen Krull’s straightforward, flowing narrative and David Diaz’s stunning, strong images beautifully capture the story’s drama. Readers will burst with pride along with Wilma as she hears “The Star-Spangled Banner” marking her Olympic victories. Ages 6-11.

Child of the Civil Rights Movement, by Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Raul Colón -- Day 47

Author Paula Young Shelton was just four at the time of the Selma-to-Montgomery march for civil rights in 1965, but she was at the very heart of events. Her recollections of that time are the foundation of Child of the Civil Rights Movement, a wonderful picture book memoir of the efforts that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The grim reality of Jim Crow laws in the South drew her activist parents, Andrew and Jean Childs Young, from New York City to Atlanta. Their family experienced firsthand the “No blacks allowed here” environment; their home became an important gathering place for Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Dorothy Cotton and other leaders in the growing movement – the “family of the American civil rights movement” she knew so well. Shelton describes discussions around the dinner table as a symphony of strong feelings and calm reason, with all participants determined to launch a peaceful march that would make a difference. The Youngs marched from Selma as a family – children Andrea and Lisa and little Paula included. Several months later they watched on TV as President Johnson, with Uncle Martin looking on, signed the Voting Rights Act into law, a jubilant occasion. Illustrator Raul Colón’s rich illustrations capture beautifully the sobering substance of this historic moment and the strong and spirited light within its participants. Ages 5 up.

For older readers, Russell Freedman's Because They Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America is a riveting documentary look at the powerful struggle for civil rights that look place in Alabama in the 1960s. It chronicles the barriers that faced African Americans who wished to vote, the numerous protests that took place, Bloody Sunday when 600 marchers were attacked by state troopers, the 54-mile Alabama Freedom March and rally later in in the month attended by 25,000 people, and other aspects of this momentous time. Ages 12 up.

Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People, by S. D. Nelson -- Day 46

Sitting Bull was a great Lakota/Sioux warrior and chief whose story chronicles the dignity of native peoples and the disastrous intersection of two cultures as wasichus (white men) moved into their lands over the course of the nineteenth century. In Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People, author and illustrator S. D. Nelson, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas, tells this story in the voice of Sitting Bull. At its best, the relationship between native peoples and whites was uneasy; at its worst it brought destruction of native culture and death to many. Sitting Bull relates that though white men said they came in peace, trading posts turned into forts, and buffalo that provided primary sustenance for native inhabitants became prized by the newcomers only for their skins, threatening the existence of whole native communities. Bloody battles and treaties marked the relationship between native peoples and the U.S. government. Some agreed to the U.S. treaties, living in designated areas and no longer hunting. Sitting Bull resisted limitations on the ways of his Lakota people, speaking always of the relationship to the land and its creatures as Wakan Tanka, the Great Mystery or sacred spirit that sustains life. Ultimately, after General Custer was overwhelmed in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, Native Americans were parceled into reservations; Sitting Bull went to the Standing Rock Agency in North Dakota, dying by gunshot in 1890. Enormous complexities are contained in this history, and it can be told from many points of view. The immediacy of Nelson’s telling, through the words of Sitting Bull and dramatic artwork, will engage readers in searingly important issues that remain a part of deep national concerns. Maps and extensive endnotes amplify Sitting Bull’s story, inspiring further exploration. Ages 9 up.