Summary

In Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, author Jonah WInter uses an old woman's walking up a steep hill on her way to vote as a metaphor for what he describes as "the uphill climb faced by African Americans in the struggle for voting rights."  Winter's words and artist Shane W. Evans' illustrations work together to create a meaningful overview of the struggle in this 40-page picture book.


I recommend it for ages 7 to 12, particularly as a family or classroom read aloud. There is a lot to think about and discuss in Lillian's Right to Vote.

Contents and Format

The picture book begins with Lillian, a very old woman, climbing a steep hill as the sun rises. She is on her way to vote. The steep hill and the arduous walk reflect the historic struggles that made up the fight for civil rights. As Lillian slowly walks up the hill, she reflects on her own family's struggles, beginning with her great-great-grandparents. She sees them "being sold as slaves in front of the very same Alabama courthouse where rich white men, and no one else, are allowed to vote."

Illustrator Shane W. Evans’ mixed media illustrations for Lillian’s Right to Vote reflect the history, drama and poignancy of the struggle for civil rights. Lillian is depicted in the foreground in strong colors while the historical scenes are portrayed in muted colors. The bright rising sun becomes more and more prominent as Lillian climbs higher and the story moves towards the passage of the Voting Rights Act awarding all American citizens the right to vote.

As Lillian continues on her way, she sees, in her mind's eye, other relatives, in other eras, and all of the obstacles African Americans experienced, even after the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870 and the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. They included poll taxes, "tests," cross burning and angry mobs. She also sees protests by people marching for the right to vote and the violent response, subsequent protests, the words and prayers of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and finally, August 6, 1965, the day President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act. Because of all those who worked so hard for voting rights, Lillian is now able to vote.

In his Author's Note, Jonah Winter talks about the book as a commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and reveals the inspiration for his title character: "My 'Lillian' was inspired by Lillian Allen, a resident of Pittsburgh's Hill District, who was born in Alabama in 1908, the granddaughter of a slave. In 2008, at the age of one hundred, not only did she vote for the first African American president, Barack Obama, she also campaigned door to door in her hilly neighborhood..." I was also pleased that he included information about voting rights today and the need to continue to work to ensure voting rights for all.

Author Jonah Winter

Author Jonah Winter has written numerous picture book biographies for children, including Frida, Barack, Diego, Jazz Age Josephine, Sonia Sotomayor, Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates and JFK. He also wrote Born and Bred in the Great Depression, Peaceful Heroes and Here Comes the Garbage Barge, among numerous other children’s books.

(Source: Jonah Winter, Penguin Random House: Jonah Winter)

Illustrator Shane W. Evans

Shane W. Evans graduated from Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts in 1993. He is both an author and an illustrator of children’s books. His books include We March and Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award.

Evans has also illustrated more than 30 picture books for other authors. Among them are Nobody's Gonna Turn Me Round by Doreen Rappaport, Take it to the Hoop Magic Johnson by Quincy Troupe, and When Gorilla Goes Walking by Nikki Grimes. Shane Evans lives in Kansas City, Missouri and is available for school presentations.

(Sources: Random House Kids, Scholastic: Shane Evans)

My Recommendation

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a good book to read and discuss with your kids. It covers a great deal of history in its 40 pages, with Shane Evans' illustrations adding to the poignancy and meaning of the story. I also appreciated the Author's Note in which Winter explains the 2013 Supreme Court decision striking down a key provision of the act, making it clear the fight for the right to vote is not over and asking, "Will a new generation rise and continue the fight?" While the publisher recommends Lillian's Right to Vote for ages 5 to 9, I think it will have more meaning for kids 7 to 12 and would be an excellent book to discuss in the classroom, as well as at home.

(Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, 2015. Hardcover ISBN: ISBN: 9780385390286, eBook ISBN: 9780385390309)

Related Children's Books I Recommend

The following books provide addition information about slavery, Jim Crow laws, the civil rights movement and more:

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford, with illustrations by Jerome Lagarrigue

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport, with illustrations by Bryan Collier

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, with illustrations by Floyd Cooper

Goin' Someplace Special, written by Patricia McKissack and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Disclosure: A review copy of Lillian's Right to Vote was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.