Four starred reviews!

Meet Diane Nash, a civil rights leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, in this “poignant and powerful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) nonfiction picture book that is “a stunning, little-known story, and a welcome volume” (School Library Journal, starred review) that “highlights major moments in Nash’s life” (The Horn Book, starred review).

Diane grew up in the southside of Chicago in the 1940s. As a university student, she visited the Tennessee State Fair in 1959. Shocked to see a bathroom sign that read For Colored Women, Diane learned that segregation in the South went beyond schools—it was part of daily life. She decided to fight back, not with anger or violence, but with strong words of truth and action.

Finding a group of like-minded students, including student preacher John Lewis, Diane took command of the Nashville Movement. They sat at the lunch counters where only white people were allowed and got arrested, day after day. Leading thousands of marchers to the courthouse, Diane convinced the mayor to integrate lunch counters. Then, she took on the Freedom Rides to integrate bus travel, garnering support from Martin Luther King Jr. and then the president himself—John F. Kennedy.

About The Author

Will Wroebel

Sandra Neil Wallace

Sandra Neil Wallace writes about people who break barriers and change the world. She is the author of several award-winning books for children, including Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery, illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received the Orbis Pictus Book Award and was an ALA Notable Book. A former ESPN reporter and the first woman to host an NHL broadcast, she is the recipient of the Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Award and creates change as cofounder of The Daily Good, a nonprofit bringing twenty thousand free, culturally diverse foods to college students each year through its Global Foods Pantries. Visit Sandra at SandraNeilWallace.com.

About The Illustrator

Bryan Collier

Bryan Collier is a beloved illustrator known for his unique style combining watercolor and detailed collage. He is a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient for Trombone Shorty, Dave the Potter, Martin’s Big Words, and Rosa. His books have won many other awards as well, including six Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards. His recent books include By and By, Thurgood, The Five O’Clock Band, and Between the Lines. He lives in New York with his family.

Product Details

Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (January 10, 2023)
Length: 48 pages
ISBN13: 9781534451032
Ages: 4 - 8
Lexile ® AD720L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

Raves and Reviews

*"This is a stunning, little-known story, and a welcome volume."

– School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

*"A poignant and powerful portrayal of the life and work of an unsung civil rights activist....Wallace’s text lends buoyancy to the narrative, making it a memorable read-aloud."

– Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

*"Wallace’s emotive second-person text condenses Nash’s extensive activism into an inspiring meditation on love as the heart of justice, while Collier’s watercolor and collage illustrations bring artful dimension to Nash’s nonviolent resistance."

– Pubishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

*“During the 1960s, Diane Nash was one of the most influential and effective leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, yet most people don’t know who she is.” Wallace’s latest picture-book collaboration with Collier seeks to correct that ....the book opens with images of Nash’s parents cradling her as a baby and then of Nash, as a small child, being hugged by her grandmother, highlighting the love that encouraged her activism.

– The Horn Book – STARRED REVIEW

"This picture-book biography honors Diane Nash, a significant figure in the civil rights movement.... Written in direct but poetic phrases... A fitting portrayal of Diane Nash, a civil rights leader who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022."

– Booklist

“Sandra Neil Wallace’s lyrical prose coupled with award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier’s captivating visions immerse readers in the pivotal, yet under-told story, of civil rights leader Diane Nash. Nash inspires as an activist ancestor to whom today’s young organizers can look to as an inspiration and a reminder to vocalize, act, and always lead with love.”

– —Lori Ann Terjesen, director of education, National Women’s History Museum

“Sandra Neil Wallace and Bryan Collier’s book displays beautifully Diane Nash’s courage to challenge the ills of segregation. Her commitment to non-violent protest for justice continues to inspire people around the world. The National Civil Rights Museum is proud to have her in our ring of Freedom Award honorees.”

–Dr. Russell Wigginton, president, National Civil Rights Museum