As Fast As Words Could Fly

"A warm. . . title about the struggle for equality."

"The striking compositions in rich browns and blues, along with Tuck's pride in her family, help distinguish this story of perseverance and courage. This well-crafted tale would be an excellent complement to overviews of the Civil Rights Movement."

"Tuck lays bare the challenges that faced Mason and black students like him, but she also tempers the story's cold realities with moments of hope, echoed by the pride and determination."

From the beautiful cover picture of the boy's fingers on the typewriter keys, to the ugly view of the racist bus driver who tells the black pupils to "get to the back," Velasquez's handsome oil paintings on watercolor paper bring close the details of one boy's struggle. Told from a personal viewpoint and appended with a powerful author's note, this is a story to share across generations.

"Based on some of the true experiences of the author's father, this fictional picture book contains illustrations that are so high quality as to resemble paintings rather than pictures... [As Fast as Words Could Fly] will undoubtedly inspire a new general of readers."