These books may not bear any resemblance, but they are twins. Both titles release in January. And both unfold through poetic narratives that center seminal events in the civil rights struggle.

Before He Was Thurgood: The Gutsy Kid Who Would Transform the Supreme Court chronicles the life and career of Thurgood Marshall, who was the lead attorney in the landmark school desegregation case, Brown v. Board of Education. When Marshall misbehaved in class, his teacher sent him to the school basement with a copy of the Constitution. Young Marshall memorized it and carried a copy in his pocket throughout his life. He became a civil rights attorney and the first African American appointed to the U. S. Supreme Court. This is my first collaboration with Caldecott Honor winner Gordon James. Pre-order here.

Strength in Numbers: The Montgomery Bus Boycott notes the collective action that mobilized and sustained the 1955 protests to desegregate municipal buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Noa Denmon, the book tells the story by the numbers, spotlighting famous figures such as Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as ordinary citizens who printed flyers, drove in carpools, raised funds, and soled shoes. This is the first picture book to provide a comprehensive look at the boycott. Pre-order here.