Review by Booklist Review
This picture book pairs the dual stories of powerful activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. When Chavez was a child, his family lost their home and became migrant farmworkers, and Chavez had to drop out of school to work. As an adult, he continued to work in the fields. When Huerta was young, she moved to California, where her mother let poor farmworkers stay at her hotel for free, and when she grew up, she taught farmworkers' children. Each double-page spread features text in both Spanish and English, with Huerta's story on the left, and Chavez's on the right-hand side. Cepeda's bright mixed-media images convey the dramatic stories. One scene shows Chavez fleeing poisonous pesticides sprayed from an overhead plane, and in another, particularly striking spread, Chavez and Huerta come together to lead a 340-mile march to demand better living and working conditions for farmworkers. A long final note aimed at parents and teachers will also draw young readers, who can move from this introduction to longer biographies of the inspiring leaders.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This bilingual picture book tells the story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, who organized migrant workers in the 1960s. Brown begins by sketching their upbringings: Huerta, an activist from the start, "raise[d] money for soldiers fighting in World War II," while Chavez and his family were forced to become migrants themselves. Meeting later, they joined forces to fight for better working conditions-the first of many successes during decades of activism. Cepeda's highly textural paintings-using oils, acrylics, and collage-never put the duo on a pedestal, and instead emphasize the power and impact of ordinary but dedicated citizens. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-How many children knew that behind the 1960s National Grape Boycott was a woman named Dolores Huerta, alongside famous activist Cesar Chavez? Not only did Huerta coin the United Farm Workers' mantra, "Si, se puede! Yes, we can!" but she also worked tirelessly with Chavez to create change for countless migrant farmworkers. Brown describes the widely different upbringings for Huerta and Chavez. As soon as they met, however, it was evident that together they were an unstoppable force. For 30 years, their momentum carried them through many important triumphs in the fight for social justice. The English and Spanish texts on each page are complemented by Cepeda's expressive, painterly illustrations done in a saturated color palette. While the vocabulary, pictures, and length of the story lend themselves to reading aloud to younger audiences, the subject matter is suited to older audiences as well. This piece of literature is a great way to introduce young people to topics such as civil rights, Cesar Chavez Day, immigration, and, of course, International Women's Day, to celebrate the life and achievements of a community activist and feminist who continues to play an active role within the Latino communities. A must-purchase for schools and libraries.-Shannon Dye, Peoria Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Brown makes a significant contribution to the increasing number of books about Cisar Chavez by focusing equally on his partner, Dolores Huerta. Their life stories are told in parallel until they meet and "side by side...began their journey." Huerta's accomplishments are admirable, and she gets her due in this heartfelt bilingual volume enhanced by Cepeda's emotion-filled mixed-media illustrations. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In a slim tribute that focuses exclusively on their victories, Brown (My Name Is Celia/Me Llamo Celia, 2004, etc) recaps the childhoods and linked careers of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Though the size of the challenges they faced and magnitude of what they accomplished doesn't come through as clearly here as in Kathleen Krull's Harvesting Hope (2003, illustrated by Yuyi Morales), by giving Huerta equal time in the spotlight the author rights a longstanding imbalance in how the struggles of the United Farm Workers have been presented to young readers. Cepeda can be counted on to crank up the energy of any text he illustrates, and here he really enlivens the narrative by highlighting the extreme contrast between Chavez's quiet, steady presence and Huerta's larger-than-life personality. Scenes of protest alternate with scenes of companionable planning around kitchen tables, giving a great sense of the partnership. A Spanish translation runs beneath and alongside the English-language text, and the lengthy afterword (with photo) is also presented in both languages. (Picture book/biography. 7-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
