Written by: Rob Sanders
Illustrated by: Steven Salerno
For Ages: 5-8 years
Language: English
Topics Covered: Historical Figures, Activism, LGBT, Community, Acceptance.
Summary: This book is an incredibly positive historical look at the gay rights movement of the seventies, centered around Harvey Milk and his rise to political success. The plot revolves around Milk’s desire for a united community and a symbol to display. Harvey got in touch with an artist and asked him to make a flag that would signify hope and love. Milk and the other activists made a plan to reveal the flag at their march to protest inequality and unfair laws. The march was a success and Milk was proud of his community coming together. Suddenly, Milk and another activist are assassinated. The remainder of the book describes Milk’s mile-long memorial march as well as how popular the rainbow Pride flag has become. The last few pages showcase different places the rainbow flag has been: like the White House in 2015!
After the story is over, there are biographical notes as well as separate timelines for Harvey Milk and the rainbow flag. There is also a list for further reading and online sources.
About the Author & the Illustrator:
Throughout junior high and high school, Rob Sanders had wonderful English teachers who taught him to diagram sentences, speak in public, read the classics, show what he learned in creative ways, and who taught him to write. He wrote letters, poems, stories, plays, radio scripts, and more. Even now those teachers would be considered among the best. He is still reading and writing today. As a matter of fact, every school day he teaches kids about words and books, and stories and writing. Helping his students become strong writers is his favorite thing to do. Now he also writes books. Explore his website and learn all about them.
NYC based illustrator Steven Salerno creates stylized illustrations ranging from the graphically simple and whimsical, to more realistic richly textured imagery -with some also having a retro feel… and all anchored in traditional drawing skills reflective of his admiration for select artists and illustrators from past eras. Over his long independent graphics career he has created thousands of published illustrations for a list of nearly 600 clients, for use in print & web advertising, editorial magazines and newspapers, product packaging, corporate publications, retail graphics, and publishing. Since 2000, Steven is also the author & illustrator of 5 popular picture book titles for children and is the illustrator of an additional 23 picture book titles written by other authors. Originally from Vermont, he was an honors graduate of the Illustration Department at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where he studied art history, printmaking, animation, and illustration under top industry professionals including famed author/illustrator Maurice Sendak, of the ground breaking picture book “Where the Wild Things Are,” and many others.