Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change

Rosa sat so
Martin could march.
Martin marched so
Barack could run.
Barack ran so
Our children can soar.

This is the seed of a unique and inspirational picture book text, that is part historical, part poetry, and entirely inspirational. It symbolically takes the reader through the cumulative story of the US Civil Rights Movement, showing how select pioneers' achievements led up to this landmark moment, when we have elected our first black President.

Each historical figure is rendered by a different award-winning African-American children's book illustrator, representing the singular and vibrant contribution that each figure made.

Lending historical substance, the back matter includes brief biographies of: George Washington Carver, Jesse Owens, Hattie McDaniel, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama.

Foreword author not yet confirmed.

Michelle Cook is the pseudonym of a book editor/author who was thrilled to collaborate with Bloomsbury Children's Books to develop this unique text.

Illustrators and awards:
Cozbi Cabrera
R. Gregory Christie (3 time Coretta Scott King Honor, 2008 Geisel Honor)
Bryan Collier (2 Caldecott Honors, 2 CSK Awards, 3 CSK Honors)
Pat Cummings (1 CSK Award, 3 CSK Honors)
Diane and Leo Dillon (2 Caldecott Medals, 5 CSK Honors)
A.G. Ford (NY Times bestselling illustrator of Barack)
E.B. Lewis (1 Caldecott Honor, 1 CSK Award, 3 CSK Honors)
Frank Morrison (John Steptoe Award for New Talent)
James Ransome (1 CSK Award, 1 CSK Honor)
Charlotte Riley-Webb
Shadra Strickland
Eric Velasquez (John Steptoe Award)