Written by award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney. Let It Shine is an outgrowth of two previous Alcorn/Harcourt Brace & Co. collaborations, entitled Lincoln: In His Own Words, and Frederick Douglass: In His Own Words.

This volume will feature a multitude of full-color paintings celebrating the life and times of Ella Josephine Baker, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Mary Mcleod Bethune, Shirley Chilshom, Dorothy Irene Height, Biddy (Bridget) Mason, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman.

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, she sparked a protest that changed the South. Having escaped slavery on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman defied bounty hunters and returned South again and again to lead slaves to freedom. As the first black woman elected to senate, Shirley Chisolm paved the way for generations of women to enter government.The lives these women led are part of one incredible story. It is a story about courage in the face of inequality, oppression, prejudice, and fear. It is a story about the challenges and triumphs of the battle for civil rights. And it is a story about speaking out for what you believe, even when it feels like no one is listening. The ten freedom fighters featured in this book let their lights shine on the darkness of discrimination. And shine they did.

- The publisher

This exciting collective biography features ten important women in the historic struggle to win freedom and civil rights. Pinkney (Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, 1998, etc.) tells the wellknown stories of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks. Other women such as Biddy Mason and Dorothy Irene Height are in the history books but are less familiar. They span the 18th and 19th centuries, from Sojourner Truth, born into slavery circa 1797, to Shirley Chisholm, born in 1924 and living today. Each story contains essential demographic and biographical information written in an accessible, informal style, which provides a vivid picture of the women's lives, their personalities, backgrounds, and the actions that made them memorable. Many of the women also had to fight against prejudice toward women in addition to their causes. Some did not live to see the results of their struggle, but successful or not, all were courageous leaders who paved the way for a more democratic and inclusive America. The introduction gives the reader a glimpse into Pinkney's own life and her rationale for the selection of biographies. A bibliography for further reading lists what are probably her research sources, but are not identified as such and quotations within the chapters are not footnoted in any way. Another quibble is a small mistake in the biography of Dorothy Irene Height as to the two degrees she received in four years. Both were in educational psychology, but Pinkney lists the bachelor's as in social work. However, these flaws do not compromise the value of the book. Alcorn's (Langston Hughes, not reviewed, etc.) paintings, oil on canvas, are as magnificentashis figures and add much to this handsome volume. Vibrant colors, rhythmic lines, and collagelike compositions are allegorical in design and convey the essence of each woman and her work. A truly inspiring collection for personal as well as institutional libraries. (Biography. 812)

- Kirkus Reviews © 9/1/00

"Engaging text and glorious art are combined in this collection of sketches celebrating the contributions of 10 women who moved forward the cause of civil rights in America. Following a preface that describes her own family roots in the civil rights movement and their influence on her, Pinkney presents her heroines chronologically, from Sojouner Truth to Shirley Chisholm, in verbal portraits that capture the subjects' spirit and personalities amid biographical highlights. Blending straightforward narrative with a lively storytelling style, the author balances the hardships and racial injustice that these women faced against their faith, strength of character, and determination. They include Harriet Tubman, Mary Mcleod bethune, and Rosa Parks, as well as Biddy Mason, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Ella Josephine Baker, Dorothy Irene Height, and Fanny Lou Hamer. The book includes many quotes, incidents, and details that lead readers down their personal paths to historical recognition. However it is Alcorn's vibrant paintings that make this book a standout. A full-page stylized portrait appears opposite the first page of each story; it is filled with symbolic details that are elucidated in the text. A brilliant example is a larger-than-life Harriet Tubman balanced on one knee over a railroad track with arms diagonally outstretched, bridgelike, as tiny travellers make their way up the steep height toward the freedom star. Smaller paintings appear within the stories, carrying the message further. Line, color, and canvas texture give the pictures depth and dynamism, vastly enriching the reading experience. This excellent collection is a must for every library."

- School Library Journal ©10/1/00

"Stephen Alcorn's extraordinary bold tableaux, framed like stage pieces, consistently declare their own individuality as well as that of their subjects".

- The Horn Book Magazine © 10/1/00

"The book also includes allegorical portraits by painter and printmaker Stephen Alcorn. His artwork truly honors these heroic women who fought in the battle for civil rights and finds extraordinary compatibility with Pinkney's text. The excellence of the text and artwork is also replicated in the "For Further Reading" section at the back of the book. I urge parents, teachers and young readers to pay close attention to the valuable entries noted in the general historical collections and biographies for the freedom fighters".

- San Francisco Chronicle © 9/00

Pinkney (Silent Thunder) presents eloquent portraits of 10 intrepid African-American activists for the causes of abolition, women's rights and civil rights. Exploring these individuals' childhoods as well as their accomplishments as adults, the author smoothly distills biographical information so as to hold the attention of young readers. Her selection of subjects includes the prominent (Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and Shirley Chisholm) as well as such lesser-knowns as Fannie Lou Hamer, an indefatigable campaigner for African-Americans' right to vote. Pinkney's writing is spiced with colloquialisms ("She didn't shy back for nobody," she says of Sojourner Truth) and useful imagery (describing this same crusader's delivery of her renowned "Ain't I a woman?" speech, the author notes, "She was the only black woman in the place, and when she stepped to the pulpit, some folks looked at her like she was a stain on their purest linens"). Featuring creatively skewed perspective and proportion, Alcorn's (I, Too, Sing America) oil paintings offer allegorical interpretations of his subjects' lives. Ages 8-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

- Publisher's Weekly © 9/11/00

"A striking portrait accompanies each biographical profile, visually spotlighting each women's accomplishments and life. Let it Shine is inspiring reading for any child or adult and will be a useful addition to any public or school collection. Tie-ins with civil rights or history curricula are obvious."

- Carrie Eldridge
VOYA © 12/00

Children's Literature Families can pay tribute to black women freedom fighters such as Ella Baker and Shirley Chisholm in Let It Shine. Acclaimed author Andrea Davis Pinkney tells the inspiring stories of ten women who advanced the cause of civil rights in this country. Especially moving are the quotes from the featured women that introduce each piece. "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance," said Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who was a schoolteacher at the age of fourteen and later an esteemed journalist who exposed the horrors of lynching. Stephen Alcorn's oil paintings capture the essence of these heroic women. 2000, Harcourt, $20.00. Ages 8 to 12. Br>

-Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum

LET IT SHINE has been chosen for inclusion in Smithsonian's list of "Notable Books for Children, 2000"
"...Alcorn's allegorical portraits are extraordinary..."

- Kathleen Burke; SMITHSONIAN ©
November 2000 Volume 31, Number 8; page 68.

"...Stephen Alcorn's allegorical oil portraits are dramatic and beautiful, with swirling rhythmic curves that connect the bending sharecropper with the rolling earth and shining light. The immediacy of the text and the spacious design of the large volume make this a natural for reading aloud."

- Hazel Rochman
Booklist © 10/2000