Who was the voice of the people? Cesar Chavez

The popular Who Was? biography series gets a makeover in the new Who HQ Graphic Novels series (4 titles). A different author and illustrator team takes on each subject, imparting an individualized artistic style for each volume while following the same basic structure: dialogue-driven panel art bookended by a short, written introduction and conclusion. Individual pages of text interject historical context when needed, and a time line and bibliography conclude. Cesar Chavez's march from Delano, California, to Sacramento to peacefully protest unfair wages and working conditions for grape-farm workers is highlighted in Who Was the Voice of the People?, which also calls attention to Delores Huerta and Roberto Bustos. All the books showcase the passions and urgency or risks behind their headline-making events and humanize the people who made them possible.

Gr 4--6--Highlighting Cesar Chavez's leadership ability and his commitment to nonviolent protest, this account of the 1966 Delano Grape Strikers' 340-mile march to Sacramento alternates neatly framed comic panels with prose passages that fill in biographical and historical background. Depicting major figures in the march--Chavez; the official leader, Roberto Bustos; and the National Farm Workers Association's incomparable cofounder Dolores Huerta--with reasonable fidelity, Julia gives them a calm resolve in the face of hostile law enforcement officers and other obstacles that will stir readers. The dialogue does tend to run to slogans and pronouncements, so Kathleen Krull's Harvesting Hope is a more well-written and detailed account of the topic. Still, this is a viable alternative for its visual approach and more current resource list. VERDICT Of value as a chronicle of an effective nonviolent social protest, with a partly graphic format that broadens its appeal.--John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, NY

A look at Cesar Chavez's role in the Delano grape strike highlights the fight for farm workers' rights in California. A short introductory passage peppers in facts about Chavez's life: birth, childhood, influences, co-founding of the National Farm Workers Association. Then the story begins, slipping readers into an NFWA meeting where fellow organizers Roberto Bustos and Dolores Huerta muse about the current state of the strike--its momentum and challenges. Enter Cesar Chavez with a dreamer's idea: a 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento through small towns and farms "to get more farmworkers to join their cause." From there, it's a quick overview of the preparations and the march itself, with few drawbacks (a run-in with an antagonistic sheriff presents a clear and concise image of the movement's adversaries) and a whole lot of joyous sloganeering ("¡Huelga! ¡Huelga!"), appearances of vital figures (including Luis Valdez in a memorable sequence), and celebratory triumphs (the march's staggering growth in numbers). In this latest installment of the Who HQ graphic novel series, community strength is represented as the key to social change. Though this depiction of Chavez often veers into saintlike reverence, the colorful artwork overall offers a resplendent portrayal of a pivotal moment in the yearslong strike. Fun characterizations (a shrewd Dolores Huerta is a gem) and one-page interjections of background context round up a solid yet glossy retelling. A loving tribute to la causa. (timeline, bibliography) (Graphic historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.