Lubaya's Quiet Roar

by Marilyn Nelson (Author) Philemona Williamson (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

In this stirring picture book about social justice activism and the power of introverts, a quiet girl's artwork makes a big impression at a protest rally.

Newbery Honor winner Marilyn Nelson and fine artist Philemona Williamson have come together to create this lyrical, impactful story of how every child, even the quietest, can make a difference in their community and world.

Young Lubaya is happiest when she's drawing, often behind the sofa while her family watches TV. There, she creates pictures on the backs of her parents' old protest posters. But when upsetting news shouts into their living room, her parents need the posters again. The next day her family takes part in a march, and there, on one side of the posters being held high, are Lubaya's drawings of kids holding hands and of the sun shining over the globe--rousing visual statements of how the world could be. Lubaya's roar may not be loud, but a quiet roar can make history.

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School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--In a very timely book, Nelson has crafted a story about Lubaya, a young artist who uses her imagination and creates art. To others, it seems as if she is not paying attention, perhaps, as she fills the backs of her parents' old protest signs with image after image. When new protests start, her parents reuse the signs--this time with Lubaya's art on the back of them. Those bearing the signs see that Lubaya, too, has a voice. With so many protests across our nation recently, this could be a solid choice for children wondering about how they can take part. The description of Lubaya at the beginning of the book could represent any introverted or artistic child who marches to the beat of a different drummer. Reminiscent of Vera Williams's work, Williamson's oils are luminous. They are stylized and colorfully impressionistic while still setting the story into credible scenes of family and protest. The cast includes people of all races and ethnicities. Lubaya's mother is light brown, while the girl shares the darker brown skin of her father. VERDICT A great addition to any school's collection, this book bridges a gap of understanding for others who may also have a quiet but powerful roar.--Jane Mouttet, Mesilla Valley Christian Sch., Las Cruces, NM

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

★ This quietly powerful family story encourages children to use both voices and hands to advocate for change. —Kirkus, starred review

A great addition to any school's collection, this book bridges a gap of understanding for ­others who may also have a quiet but powerful roar. —School Library Journal

Williamson's vivid, expressive paintings that utilize primary and elementary colors in stunning, single-color backgrounds . . . Nelson's story, paired with Williamson's illustrations, reminds the quieter personalities that they possess just as much strength and talent as their more vocal counterparts. —Booklist

Nelson and Williamson share the rich interior world of a character who shows readers that everyone has more to them than meets the eye . . . Williamson's vibrant, colorful oil-paint and crayon illustrations use all the space on the pages to show how Lubaya is never fully alone, though she often tands apart . . . A lovely story by a thoughtful poet and artist. —Horn Book
Marilyn Nelson
Marilyn Nelson is a three-time National Book Award finalist, has won a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and several Coretta Scott King Honors, and has received several prestigious poetry awards, including the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the Poets' Prize, and the Robert Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime service to American poetry.

Philemona Williamson is a fine artist whose paintings have been exhibited in many museums and galleries, including the Montclair Art Museum, University of North Carolina, and Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts. She has received a number of awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. She lectures at universities and teaches for Doing Art Together, a nonprofit arts education program.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780525555551
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Rocky Pond Books
Publication date
October 06, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
Library of Congress categories
African American girls
Demonstrations
Drawings
Posters

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