Stand Up! 10 Might Women Who Made a Change is the latest book in a slightly crowded genre of women of color making their mark in American history. With that said, it is a welcomed edition as it has a few people you have probably not heard of, making it fresh in many ways. Brittney Cooper introduces us to women who have inspired them, and others in these pages. The biographical information is presented as a story, making it easy to follow along.
This book explores these ten women who did not just physically stand up (in fact two sat down), but who stood up for their rights. Many you might not have heard of like Claudette Colvin (who sat on a bus before Rosa Parks), or Prathia Hall who had Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. take her “I have a dream” line, but others, like Parks, you know very well. And each one has a unique story of not staying quiet but doing something about the injustices around them. Some became Mayors and others started movements.
The short biographies and the bold, interesting, and detailed illustrations by Cathy Ann Johnson are a fun and easy way to be introduced to the people included. Johnson’s style of art is bold, bright and a little “boom! Here it is!” but not necessarily overwhelming. It coincides nicely with the black girl magic theme.
The main story is all ages, but once you start going into the people’s biographical information it starts to become more for the at least five and up crowd. You can adapt the story to fit the needs of the particular age, as you do not need to read all what Ruby Bridges did, but you can tell the listener the name and a quick “why they were brave and stood up.”