Your voice, your vote

K-Gr 3--A celebration of voting begins as Quetta waits impatiently for her mother to arrive home on Election Day. Quetta is excited to join her mother and grandmother on their journey to vote. As they take several buses and a long walk through their lively and diverse neighborhood, they encounter many community members eager to cast their own votes. Quetta is dismayed when they finally arrive at their polling station and the line seems endlessly long. To bolster Quetta's resolve, her grandmother tells her of the many exclusionary practices that Black Americans like her great-grandparents faced and reminds her of the importance of using her voice to create change. When her grandmother's ID is missing just as they finally get a turn to vote, there's a moment of suspense that keeps readers engaged while driving home how precarious the right to vote can be. Quetta and her family are depicted in bright colors that emphasize the excitement of election day, while faded blues depict the obstacles they face. An author's note with suggestions for further reading and a time line provides insight into the battle for voting rights for all. VERDICT A child's-eye view of the voting experience that highlights the joys and frustrations of making one's voice heard.--Alia Shields

A Black family makes an important journey on Election Day. Young Quetta and her mother and grandmother take a long ride on two different buses (standing room only). Once they arrive at their polling place, they see a long line of community members, and they settle in to wait…and wait…and wait. It's a big day--Grandma has even donned her Sunday hat, though it's Tuesday. If it's such an important day, though, why does Quetta's mother still have to go to work? the girl wonders. And as it begins to rain, Quetta suggests going home. That opens up a conversation between Quetta and Grandma, whose parents and grandparents fought for the right to vote and who explains just how crucial it is to exercise this right. As they reach the front of the line, everyone is told that they must have their IDs in order to vote. Grandma is initially unable to find hers, and a knot forms in Quetta's stomach. Luckily, all ends well, and Quetta gets to watch two generations of women in her family cast their votes. Henderson's story of a loving family working hard to vote puts this civic duty into greater historical context. Morris' digital illustrations have an intimate, collagelike look, with specific details that bring to life the various members of this community. A much-needed reminder that voting is a right not to be taken for granted. (author's note, further reading, timeline) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.