Viola Desmond Won’t Be Budged!
by Jody Nyasha Warner
pictures by Richard Rudnicki
Groundwood Books (Anansi Press), 2020. First published in 2010.
Review written November 9, 2020, from a library book
Starred Review
We’ve all heard of Rosa Parks. This picture book tells the story of Viola Desmond, an African Canadian who protested the segregation of a movie theater in Toronto in 1946.
The story is presented simply in a way that’s easy to understand. There’s a little bit of drama added to the story as they start off by telling us she’s brave and then tell about her car breaking down on the way home. It was going to take hours to fix, so she decided to see a movie.
At first, she was told politely to move. But they ended up bringing in the police.
But I told you Viola was brave, didn’t I?
She wouldn’t budge one inch because she knew this seating rule wasn’t fair to black folks. It was just plain wrong.
So the manager and the policeman dragged her out of the theater in a real rough way.
Viola didn’t even win her court case. The court refused to face it as a segregation issue and accused her of not paying the right price for the ticket.
Still, Viola’s bravery made a big difference.
She inspired all kinds of people to fight against segregation, and by the late 1950s it was made against the law.
So come on and join me in saying thank you to Viola Desmond, a real hero, who sat down for her rights.
The book has bright, colorful pictures, making attractive to young children a story about making the world more fair.
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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