January 1, 2023
A praise song for the U.S. Supreme Court's first Black woman justice. Using "She rose" or "Ketanji rose" as refrains, Weatherford retraces in pithy evangelical bursts the general course of her subject's early life and career--from being elected "mayor" of her junior high school to shrugging off slights to her name and race, levitating past a guidance counselor's doubts about her getting into Harvard (where she ended up editing the law journal as a graduate student), and, as a federal judge, coming to the attention of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden on her way to the judicial top. Leaving further character analysis and biographical detail to others, the author then just quotes Jackson that she is "standing on the shoulders of my own role models" and closes by positioning her as "a role model for children everywhere." Evans follows suit in scenes of the buoyantly smiling justice at various ages and with her childhood and adult families by adding portraits of Shirley Chisholm, Maya Angelou, and other Black women who overcame obstacles. A letter from the author to her granddaughter ("and all of our daughters") closes out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A distinctly purposeful profile. (timeline) (Picture-book biography. 6-8)
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Starred review from February 1, 2023
K-Gr 4-Ever since she was a child, Ketanji Brown Jackson rose to the top. She learned the value of education from her parents, who were the first in their families to go to college, and her grandparents, who only finished grade school. She accomplished everything to which she put her mind, becoming the mayor of her junior high school and president of her senior high school. As a Black girl, she experienced racial prejudice when she was overlooked for a role because she wasn't white and when debate judges mocked her African name. She didn't let anything stop her and rose from Harvard Law School to federal judge to Supreme Court Justice. Deliberately harking back to Maya Angelou's seminal poem "Still I Rise," this title is a fascinating look at Justice Brown's journey to the Supreme Court. The vibrant illustrations accompanied by quotes from Justice Brown work together to bring her story to life. Readers get a glance at how a little girl rose above all the obstacles with grace and intelligence, inspiring others-including the author, who pens a letter to relatives about her own journey of appreciation. Includes a time line. VERDICT A necessary addition to all collections, warmly illustrated and beautifully told.-Myiesha Speight
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2023
Grades 1-3 Weatherford highlights the struggles and resilience of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve as associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Maya Angelou's famous poem "Still I Rise," although not directly mentioned until the end of the book, serves as the narrative frame for Justice Jackson's inspiring story. The title refers to the respect given a judge entering a courtroom but also to the hope that all people can rise above constraints. The vivid digital illustrations underscore the theme. Just about every page starts with the refrain "She rose," placing this declaration in large, bright cursive above the regular text. We learn of Ketanji's roots, how being born in the decade after the civil rights movement shaped her views of justice for all, how she rose in school and in activities like debate, and the many slights and humiliations she rose above. The illustration of Justice Jackson standing outside the Supreme Court with "Equal Justice under Law" carved in stone over the entrance speaks volumes. A gripping biography.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
March 6, 2023
Exemplifying how “whatever she did, wherever she was, Ketanji Brown Jackson rose to the top,” Boston Weatherford starts each spread of this high-level biography with a nod to Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”—the poem that Brown Jackson (b. 1970) quoted during her confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Play-by-play lines reflect her maturation, reference her heritage (“the dedication and determination of her parents”), and show Brown Jackson navigating limitations and prejudice placed on her by others (“She rose/ above the debate judges who mocked her African name... She rose/ above a guidance counselor’s doubts that she could get into Harvard”). Evans’s unlined digital illustrations visualize, in pastel clouds, the figure’s connections to elders including Shirley Chisholm and Mae Jemison. It’s an inspiring biography focused on rising above challenges. A “Letter to My Granddaughter and All of Our Daughters” and timeline conclude. Ages 4–8.