Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Summary of Book

An elderly African American woman, en route to vote, remembers her family’s tumultuous voting history in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery. Veteran bestselling picture-book author Jonah Winter and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Shane W. Evans vividly recall America’s battle for civil rights in this lyrical, poignant account of one woman’s fierce determination to make it up the hill and make her voice heard.

Author Biography

Jonah Winter is the award-winning, celebrated author of over 40 nonfiction picture books, including New York Times bestseller, BARACK. Jonah Winter’s wide-ranging interests have led him to write and illustrate picture books on racism, baseball players, avant-garde artists, jazz musicians, exotic dancers, presidents, manual laborers, Beethoven’s difficulties moving in and out of 39 apartments, garbage, 12-century mystics, and his own father’s experiences growing up in East Texas during the Great Depression. His book about racial injustice and voting rights, LILLIAN'S RIGHT TO VOTE, was a 2016 Jane Addams Award Honor Book and a 2015 Kirkus Prize finalist. Three of his books, DIEGO, HERE COME THE GARBAGE BARGE and RUTH BADER GINSBURG, were New York Times Best Illustrated Books. His book about the making of the atom bomb, THE SECRET PROJECT, received 5 starred reviews. His book about the children of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, MY NAME IS JAMES MADISON HEMINGS, was a New York Times Notable. A poet, painter, musician, and cook, Jonah Winter divides his time between New York City and a small town in Pennsylvania.

Illustrator Biography

In the business of illustration, design and creative development, Shane W. Evans is a multi-talented artist and visionary who combines his world travels with his art to influence creative expression in others. Evans studied at Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts and graduated in 1993 and began traveling the world. In addition to contract work in illustration, graphic design and web design for major companies, Evans has conceptualized and illustrated numerous children’s books. Many of the books have been featured in the media such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, NBA Inside Stuff, Reading Rainbow and Late Night with David Letterman. Shane has received much acclaim within the children’s literary field for his work on children’s books such as "Osceola," "The Way The Door Closes," "Shaq and the Beanstalk" and "Take It To The Hoop Magic Johnson." His accolades range from being honored by First Lady Laura Bush at the 2002 National Book Festival, The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction for Children.

Shane Evans’s talent does not stop at illustration and children’s books. His design work includes unique, one-of-a-kind hand crafted furniture pieces, clothing, CD cover art, photography and a number of other custom made items.

Evans’s work is influenced by his travels to Africa, South America, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. Firmly believing in education and creative development for all people, Evans has produced a unique presentation designed to share his gift with all ages, cultures, ethnic groups and backgrounds. His presentations and workshops are specifically tailored to each audience and combine storytelling, art projects and slide presentations from his own work and world travel.

Shane W. Evans is capable of delivering finished illustration, web design, graphic design and a full range of customized design services to fit the needs of his clients.