This biography of the great African American jurist Thurgood Marshall for kids ages five and over uses a rhythmic text with a repeated structure relating each anecdote from his life as “Fact” in the manner of presenting evidence to a jury.

Most of the stories about Marshall relate to his bigoted treatment in white society and his efforts to redress the harm done to himself and others. It includes the time he almost got lynched in the South, and his victory in the school desegregation case, Brown v. Board of Education. It ends with his appointment as the first Black Supreme Court justice in U.S. history.

In his Author’s Note, Winter remarks:

“There is no single person in American history who contributed more to the cause of civil rights than Thurgood Marshall in terms of the sheer number of legal rights he secured through court battles.”

Multiple award winning illustrator Brian Collier uses watercolors and collage to help tell the story.

Hopefully kids will want to know more about this heroic giant in U.S. history. There is so much of interest in his life. Even Winter notes: The author’s note states that this short volume “A forty-page picture book such as this cannot possibly convey the magnitude of his legacy.” ( )

Great story; great art.
Recommended! ( )

Thurgood was a born lawyer. He faced racism and prejudice his entire childhood. His father had a big influence on his life. His father taught him about the law system and how to argue and make your points. In school, Thurgood was the best debater there was. He went on to become one of the most influential and successful civil rights lawyers, just as he was destined to do. He fought the same injustices he experienced his whole life. I did not know who Thurgood was before reading this book. I am very happy that I got the opportunity to read this book and learn about this inspiring trailblazer. The artwork is just as inspirational as the written words. ( )