Carlotta's Special Dress: How a Walk to School Changed Civil Rights History

by Carlotta Walls Lanier, Lisa Frazier Page, Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Illustrator)

Overview

Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest of the Little Rock Nine, shares the true story about a girl, a dress, and the historic fight to attend an all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Carlotta can’t wait to wear her new dress on her first day of school. But when the moment finally arrives, she isn’t allowed to go. The year is 1957, and the people of Little Rock, Arkansas, don’t want Black students attending an all-white school and will do whatever it takes to keep them out. 

As hate and danger escalate, will Carlotta and her Black classmates, known as the Little Rock Nine, have the strength and perseverance to keep dreaming of a better world? 

This moving picture book autobiography from a Civil Rights pioneer—with extensive back matter including an author's note, comprehensive timeline, and historical photos—introduces a landmark event in the fight for desegregation and demonstrates the world-changing power children have to enact change through bravery and faith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316572545
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	01/06/2026
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Carlotta Walls LaNier is a member of the Little Rock Nine, who gained national attention for the role she played in desegregating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. LaNier received the Congressional Medal of Honor and six honorary degrees, and now speaks at venues across the country. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

Lisa Frazier Page a professional-in-residence at Louisiana State University, and a former editor and award-winning reporter at the Washington Post. She is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream. She lives in the New Orleans metropolitan area with her husband.

Vanessa Brantley-Newton is an author, illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children’s book illustration at School of Visual Arts. She is the author-illustrator of Just Like Me and Grandma’s Purse and has illustrated many beloved children’s books, including the New York Times bestseller King of Kindergarten. Vanessa lives in North Carolina, and invites you to visit her at vanessabrantleynewton.com.