Revolutions Are Made of Love - by Mélina Mangal & Sun Yung Shin (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Revolutions are made out of love for people and for place.

This was a core belief of activists and married couple James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs. James Boggs was a worker from rural Alabama in the segregated South. Grace Lee Boggs was a philosopher from urban Rhode Island and New York City. Both found their life's work, and each other, in Detroit. James and Grace were drawn to civil rights--and the labor, social, and political organizations through which people struggled for better living conditions for all.

What they created together was more than a marriage, it was a partnership. They fought with others for fair housing, jobs, food, labor unions, urban gardens, and more to make the world a better place for all. Their wide-ranging activism spanned the second half of the twentieth century. Authors Sun Yung Shin and Mélina Mangal present the lives and ideas of James and Grace in an inspiring collection of paired poems with bold mixed-media artwork by debut picture book illustrator Leslie Barlow.

Review Quotes

"In this innovative picture book biography, poetry and lush illustrations tell the story of James and Grace Lee Boggs. . . The art is rich and profound, with intense colors paired with expressive, detailed portraits and scenes that reflect the text."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Readers will learn about the injustices and influences that shaped Grace and Jim when they were very young and how they responded to those forces, overcoming obstacles in their own paths and then working for the betterment of other people."--Booklist

"A painterly approach distinguishes exemplary portraiture from multimedia artist Barlow, making a picture book debut; the characters' expressions convey both their connection and their fervent passion for fighting for equity across a work about 'a true/ collaboration, / a union/ of love/ and struggle.'"--Publishers Weekly

"The prose poems are accessible and clear, with a pleasant cadence and beauty. . .The illustrations are also outstanding throughout, with bright colors and rich details. . . Revolutions Are Made of Love is a creative dual biography in poems--a meaningful story about love and partnership."--Foreword Reviews

"The poetry is able to convey succinctly the extensive accomplishments of both subjects and the hurdles they faced together and individually, imbuing it with a tone of hope throughout. The illustrations are based on images and stories of the couple, portrayed thoughtfully in each time period of their lives with vivid imagery and color. An exceptional choice for libraries that cherish the stories of unsung, exceptional American people."--starred, School Library Journal