Learn about the true story of how a ride on a carousel made a powerful Civil Rights statement! When Sharon Langley was born in the early 1960s, many amusement parks were segregated, and African-American families were not allowed entry. This book reveals how in the summer of 1963, due to demonstrations and public protests, the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland became desegregated and opened to all for the first time.
Sharon was the first African-American child to ride the carousel. This was on the same day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Langley's ride to remember demonstrated the possibilities of King's dream. This book includes photos of Sharon on the carousel, authors' notes, a timeline, and a bibliography.
"Framed as a conversation between Langley and her parents, the story recalls the sustained efforts of people working together that made Langley’s ride possible. The structure of the carousel itself becomes an unexpected metaphor: 'Nobody first and nobody last, everyone equal, having fun together.' Cooper’s richly textured illustrations, made using oil erasure on illustration board, evoke sepia photographs’ dreamlike combination of distance and immediacy, complementing the aura of reminiscence that permeates Langley and Nathan’s narrative." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 5 - 9 |
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Author | Sharon Langley, Amy Nathan |
Illustrator | Floyd Cooper |
ISBN | 141973685X |
Publication Date | Jan 7, 2020 |
Publisher | Abrams Books for Young Readers |
Language | English |