Armand, Glenda. All Aboard the Schooltrain: A Little Story from the Great Migration.
Keisha Morris, Illus. Scholastic, 01/2023. [48]pp. Picture Book. Trade $19.99. 978-1-338-76689-9. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.
In Jim Crow-era Vacherie, Louisiana, a young Black girl named Thelma loves trains and school and looks forward to the “schooltrain,” the students’ daily walk to school. Along the way, they are encouraged by their Black neighbors to get their educations, but are also jeered at by white students in a passing school bus. The reality of life under Jim Crow is woven throughout, but the focus is on the joy of the children learning and playing and dreaming of their futures, and the courageous resistance of their parents as they make plans to leave the South. The tissue paper collage illustrations created in Photoshop beautifully illustrate the exuberance of the children as they splash through puddles or pick berries while traveling on the schooltrain. The detailed author’s note tells the story of her own family’s migration to California, provides a detailed history of the Great Migration, and gives examples of Black achievement in many areas due to greater freedom and opportunity found in northern and western cities. Thelma’s father explains the term Jim Crow to her in a clear and accessible way, making this story a great introduction to the Great Migration for even very young children. Includes California-specific content.
Cindy Gullikson—Joaquin Miller School / Oakland Unified School District