Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Alex Bostic and published by Carolrhoda, an imprint of Lerner Books.
Small Shoes, Great Strides tells the story of Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost and Gail Etienne. Better known as the McDonogh Three, these girls were at the forefront of school desegregation in New Orleans, alongside Ruby Bridges. Readers follow them from their first day of first grade through the remainder of their first year at McDonogh No. 19 Public School, and the weeks and years following.
Nelson does not shy away from the painful truths of the sensitive and scary position the girls found themselves in. Bostic shows crowds of white protestors outside the school while Nelson describes white parents who withdrew their children from McDonogh. Nelson also highlights the relationships the girls formed with the white adults who educated them and kept them safe; Miss Meyers, the “kind and caring” first-grade teacher, and the three U. S. Marshals who escorted them daily to and from school, even holding the girls’ hands.
Bostic’s acrylics add emotional depth to the story. The protesters outside, shown in warm-toned orange, contrast with the girls, often dressed in cool blues and purples. Bostic’s art brings to life the facts of school desegregation at McDonogh No. 19 public school – classroom windows covered with brown paper, recesses spent in stairwells for safety, and drinking fountains decommissioned due to fear of poisoning.
Authors: Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Illustrator: Alex Bostic
Award: 2025 Honor Picture Book Category