Congresswoman Barbara Jordan had a big, bold, confident voice--and she knew how to use it Learn all about her amazing career in this illuminating and inspiring picture book biography of the lawyer, educator, politician, and civil rights leader.

"When Barbara Jordan talked, we listened." - Former President of the United States, Bill Clinton

This oversize picture-book biography of Barbara Jordan, the charismatic congresswoman from Texas, takes a chronological approach, beginning with her childhood and college days. It then continues on through her political career, paying special attention to the role she played as a member of the 1974 U.S. House Judiciary Committee and the stirring televised speech she made to a national audience regarding the committee's recommendation to impeach President Nixon....The text features lyrical, inspiring language that will be easily accessible for young audiences, and a concluding time line fills in details (a bibliography is also included). The vibrant multimedia illustrations spill across pages, incorporating collage and multiple overlay techniques. When shared with groups, the bright, bold images will be able to be seen by all audience members, even those way in the back. The overall theme is that Ms. Jordan had a strong, compelling voice. Whether expressing her own beliefs or speaking out on behalf of others, she made sure that she was heard—and young readers are encouraged to do the same. - Booklist

Even as a child growing up in the Fifth Ward of Houston, Texas, Barbara Jordan stood out for her big, bold, booming, crisp, clear, confident voice. It was a voice that made people sit up, stand up, and take notice.

So what do you do with a voice like that?

Barbara took her voice to places few African American women had been in the 1960s: first law school, then the Texas state senate, then up to the United States congress. Throughout her career, she persevered through adversity to give voice to the voiceless and to fight for civil rights, equality, and justice.

New York Times bestselling author Chris Barton and Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes deliver a remarkable picture book biography about a woman whose struggles and mission continue to inspire today.

Author Biography

Chris Barton is the author of many picture books including the award-winning What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?: The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, New York Times bestseller Shark vs. Train, Sibert Honor-winning The Day-Glo Brothers, and Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List books The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch and Whoosh!. He visits schools by the score and also loves speaking to professional gatherings of librarians, educators, and his fellow writers. Chris and his wife, novelist Jennifer Ziegler, live in Austin, Texas, with their family. 

Ekua Holmes is a fine artist whose work explores themes of family, relationships, hope, and faith. The first children's book she illustrated was Carole Boston Weatherford's Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, which was a Caldecott Honor Book and a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book and for which Ekua won the John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award. Ekua Holmes lives in Boston.