Stonewall

March 1, 2019
A watershed picture book for a watershed moment--all in time for the Stonewall uprising's 50th anniversary.The historic Stonewall Inn, site of the eponymous uprising (and the book's first-person-plural narrator), originated as two separate stable houses in 1840s Greenwich Village. By 1930, the buildings were joined to become Bonnie's Stone Wall restaurant, "a place where being different was welcomed and accepted." 1967 saw another change--to the Stonewall Inn (a tamely depicted bar and dance club). Subsequent years saw multiple police raids targeting the establishment's LGBTQIAP patrons. On June 28, 1969, the people finally fought back, galvanizing the LGBTQIAP rights movement. As the text carries readers from past to present, its unusual narrative perspective gives a strong sense of place and community. Sanders attempts to balance the received historical narrative with inclusivity, but his retrospective tone bears slight hints of erasure when, for example, "gay men and women" is used as a catchall phrase. Moreover, though the backmatter makes mention of the key roles of trans women of color in the uprising, the visuals instead position a white-presenting woman as a key instigator. Christoph's digitally rendered illustrations paint a vivid, diverse portrait of both setting and community. The book concludes with photographs and an interview with Martin Boyce, a participant in the uprising.A beautiful--if a bit cis-centric--tribute. (glossary, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

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April 1, 2019
This story of the Stonewall Inn is spoken by the building itself, beginning in 1840s Greenwich Village, when the building was “two stable houses, side by side.” When the Stonewall Inn became “a home for people who were told that they didn’t fit in” during the 1960s, “others were not as accepting.” Scenes of moonlit Christopher Street and interior shots of the Stonewall Inn have a dusky, understated grace. Christoph captures a mood of solemnity as three patrons are placed in a police patrol wagon, while scenes of the 1969 faceoff between police and protestors capture emotions of anger, fear, and burgeoning energy. Following the riots, crowds appear in the airy daylight of Manhattan, celebrating the first anniversary of the uprising. It’s a moving ode to a cherished place, the brave people who stood for justice, and the victories that continue to lead to change. Back matter includes a history and pictures of the Stonewall Inn. Ages 5–8.

Starred review from April 15, 2019
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* What's this? A picture book about the Stonewall Riots and the beginning of the LGBTQ rights movement? Yes, indeed, and an excellent one at that. The story begins in the 1840s, with two stable houses that would be put together to become, in time, the Stonewall Inn, the gay bar where, more than a century later, history would be made. The book's clever conceit is that it is told by the building itself, providing its witness to history and the changing nature of the increasingly Bohemian Greenwich Village, which establishes the geographic context for the unfolding story leading up to the evening of June 28, 1969. Sanders does a superb job of creating an age-appropriate, truth-telling, and generally comprehensive text, which successfully brings history up to the present day. As for the illustrations, Christoph's many double-page spreads are exceedingly handsome, enriching and expanding the text. If there is one criticism to be made, it is that the people featured are all too young and good-looking, which certainly idealizes history. Otherwise, the pictures are faultless. Welcome back matter includes the above-mentioned history, which notes the contributions of transgender women of color, as well as black-and-white photographs and a brief interview with LGBTQ activist and Stonewall participant Martin Boyce. This celebration of Stonewall is a welcome addition to the slender shelf of LGBTQ books for younger readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
When police raided Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn in June 1969, its LGBTQ+ patrons decided to stand up, heralding that "a new day was dawning for the gay rights movement." The text is engagingly narrated by the nineteenth-century-constructed building itself while handsome digital illustrations show the historic changes in architecture and occupants. Appended with a photo gallery, historical note, and participant interview. Reading list, websites. Glos.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)