Lower, Jan. Heart on Fire, A: Quaker Benjamin Lay’s Fight for Equality in Colonial America. Carlyn Beccia, Illus. Calkins Creek, 12/2026. 40pp. Biography. Trade $19.99. 978-1-6626-8097-7. GRADES 2–5. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Born in England in 1682, Benjamin Lay’s Quaker convictions propelled him through life despite a hunched back and spindly legs. He sought adventure at sea, found love, and vigorously protested the horrors of slavery in Barbados and America. Colorful, full-page illustrations use scratchy pencil, digital watercolor washes, and a simplified realism to convey the experiences and passion of a man determined to fight evil and hypocrisy. Robust back matter explores the history of protest and connects Lay’s methods to more contemporary events. Timeline, selected biography, and further reading are included. A valuable addition where picture book titles on social justice and non-violent protest are wanted. Lay and most characters are white, but both enslaved and free people of African descent are shown. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired