Shannon Wright (1)

An effervescent tribute to Jackie Ormes, widely considered to be the first nationally syndicated Black woman cartoonist in the United States.

In a buoyant profile and then a more detailed afterword, Todd takes her scandalously little-known subject from an exuberant child who “fills every space she can find” with drawings to the successful creator of several pre– and post–World War II comic strips featuring strong-minded young Black characters—notably Patty-Jo and Torchy Brown—who confront prejudice and fear in “quiet, mighty ways.” Reflecting her prominence in Chicago’s African American community, Ormes cuts a stylish figure in the jazzy illustrations, and Wright slips in samples of Ormes’ work to capture its vitality as well as the “Jackie joy” that characterized it. “I was always fighting battles,” she said, and along with championing women’s rights to work (and play: One cartoon reproduced here has Patty-Jo, dressed in tatters and holding a football, indignantly telling her sister, “What’cha mean it’s no game for girls? We got feet too, ain’t we?”), she was active enough in social causes and the early civil rights movement to be investigated by the FBI. Rather than complete this picture of her life, the author and the illustrator leave a blank page to represent the decades between her retirement from comics and her death in 1985, but there’s enough here to keep readers marveling at her distinctive character and achievements…and likely wondering why it’s taken this long to discover them. (This book was reviewed digitally; this review has been updated for factual accuracy.)

Long-overdue but welcome recognition for a pioneering graphic artist. (artist’s note, bibliography, photos) (Picture-book biography. 7-10)

-Kirkus Review… (mere)

Representation: Black main characters

7/10, this was a good novel, and I enjoyed this one. The plot was very interesting, since it was about the concept of family tensions, and it was executed well. The characters were very fascinating, yet enjoyable to read, they were identical twins, and have their differences and similarities, which I liked. I've read books about family tensions, some of which didn't go so well, such as All About Mia, and She's the Worst, but this book actually manages to capture this issue well, which I liked. The flashbacks of the twins when they were younger were a nice touch, they got along during that time, compared to when they were in 6th grade and they drifted away momentarily, but got along again in the end. If you like a story about family, this is the book for you.… (mere)