Synopses & Reviews
Society of Illustrators Original Art Show 2015 selection
NAIBA Carla Cohen Free Speech Award 2015
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015
A Book Links 2015 Lasting Connection
A New York Public Library Notable Book for Reading and Sharing
"I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about." — Mildred Loving, June 12, 2007
For most children these days it would come as a great shock to know that before 1967, they could not marry a person of a race different from their own. That was the year that the Supreme Court issued its decision in Loving v. Virginia.
This is the story of one brave family: Mildred Loving, Richard Perry Loving, and their three children. It is the story of how Mildred and Richard fell in love, and got married in Washington, DC. But when they moved back to their hometown in Virginia, they were arrested (in dramatic fashion) for violating that state's laws against interracial marriage. The Lovings refused to allow their children to get the message that their parents' love was wrong and so they fought the unfair law, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court — and won!
Review
"Despite the gentle way this book unfolds, the language and images deal a blow to racist thinking and just might inspire the next generation of young civil rights activists." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
“In their first picture book together, the husband-and-wife team of Alko and Qualls skillfully chronicle a vital moment in the civil rights movement.” Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
“Many children’s books tackle landmark events in U.S. history, but this one is an especially needed addition....Inspirational, never heavy handed, and appropriate for just about everyone.” Booklist (Starred Review)
About the Author
Selina Alko was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is the acclaimed author and illustrator of more than 12 books for children. Daddy Christmas & Hanukkah Mamawas described by Kirkus Reviews as "an appealing story that will interest many families," while The New York Times Book Review called her B Is for Brooklyn "charming," "cheery," and a "spirited rendition of Brooklyn."
Sean Qualls has illustrated a number of celebrated books for children, including Dizzy by Jonah Winter, which was named to both Kirkus Reviews' and School Library Journal's Best Book lists and whose illustrations were praised as a "masterful combination of narrative and emotion" by the Horn Book Magazine. In 2009, Sean received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for his work on Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford. The Case for Loving is Sean's first book with Selina Alko as an author and illustrator duo, but it is by no means their first collaboration. The two are married and live in Brooklyn, New York, with their two children, Isaiah and Ginger.