Goodreads Review:
A celebration of the gospel anthem and Civil Rights protest song "We Shall Overcome", masterfully brought to life by Caldecott Honor recipient and a nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Bryan Collier.
"We Shall Overcome" is one of the most recognizable anthems of the Civil Rights movement, widely performed at protests and rallies to promote nonviolent civil rights activism. Now, these inspirational, empowering, legendary lyrics are brought to life with the stirring, evocative, and breathtaking illustrations from multi-award winning talent Bryan Collier. Powerfully imagined for the present moment, Collier's illustrations meld the most emblematic moments of the twentieth century Civil Rights movement with the present day, depicting the movements, protests, and demonstrations-big and small-as the fight for justice continues. With illustrations full of depth, tenderness, and expression, and offering historical context while remaining powerfully relevant to the present-day, this impactful picture book is a must-have for every home, classroom, and bookshelf.

On each page of this picture book, Bryan Collier illustrates a stanza from the civil rights protest anthem “We Shall Overcome.” The pictures juxtapose images of present-day scenes with those of significant events in civil rights history. One of the final images shows the street being painted in bright yellow with the slogan “Black Lives Matter.” As Collier says in his end notes:

“The work of the Civil Rights Movement helped pave the way for the Black Lives Matter Movement. This is why the song ‘We Shall Overcome’ remains so important. It acts as a rallying cry for people to stand up and speak out against injustices so that there may finally be a day when we are all equal.”

This book, with its beautiful powerful and vivid images, is appropriate for ages 3 and over. ( )

"Award-winning illustrator Collier sets images of the present and the past against the text of a beloved song.

Lyrics of “We Shall Overcome,” a song associated with the 1960s-era civil rights movement, are printed in orange capital letters against a strip of brown background along the bottom of each spread. The pictures tell stories, juxtaposing present-day scenes and children in full color against significant events and sites of past struggle in black and white. Endmatter explains the significance of said sites and scenes for those who may not know: the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Rosa Parks sitting down on a bus, children integrating schools. The opening spreads feature a school-age Black child rising and getting ready for the day with a smile; the middle spreads show the child arriving at school and learning with a multiracial group of peers, a Black teacher at the head of the class. Final spreads show the child walking by a street being painted with Black Lives Matter in yellow, then small crowds standing together and painting a mural together. Collier uses collage with a multitude of faces and layers to place the times and movements in relationship, creating a powerful opportunity for comparison, reflection, and discussion about the past and present. The opening and closing spreads with the smiling child offer the hopeful message Collier reinforces in his note.

This thoughtful work of art comes together with beauty and meaning. (historical note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 3-10)" www.kirkusreviews.com, A Kirkus Starred Review