"A warm. title about the struggle for equality." -- Kirkus Reviews "The striking compositions in rich browns and blues, along with Tuck's pride in her family, help distinguish this story of perseverance and courage. This well-crafted tale would be an excellent complement to overviews of the Civil Rights Movement." -- School Library Journal "Tuck lays bare the challenges that faced Mason and black students like him, but she also tempers the story's cold realities with moments of hope, echoed by the pride and determination." -- Publishers Weekly From the beautiful cover picture of the boy's fingers on the typewriter keys, to the ugly view of the racist bus driver who tells the black pupils to "get to the back," Velasquez's handsome oil paintings on watercolor paper bring close the details of one boy's struggle. Told from a personal viewpoint and appended with a powerful author's note, this is a story to share across generations. -- Booklist "Based on some of the true experiences of the author's father, this fictional picture book contains illustrations that are so high quality as to resemble paintings rather than pictures.

[ As Fast as Words Could Fly ] will undoubtedly inspire a new general of readers." -- Children's Literature New Voices Award Winner, Lee & Low Books Teacher's Choices, International Literacy Association (ILA) Diverse and Impressive Children's Books of 2013, International Literacy Association (ILA) Skipping Stones Honor Award, Skipping Stones Magazine Storytelling World Award, Storytelling World Land of Enchantment Book Award Masterlist, New Mexico Library Association Martin Luther King Jr. "Living the Dream" Book Award, Manhattan Country School Show Me Readers Nominee, Missouri Association of School Librarians.