Who Was the Voice of the People?: Cesar Chavez: A Who HQ Graphic Novel

by Terry Blas, Mar Julia (Illustrator), Who HQ

Overview

Discover the story behind Cesar Chavez and the Delano Grape Strike in this moving graphic novel — written by award-winning author Terry Blas and illustrated by Ignatz-nominated cartoonist Mar Julia.

Presenting Who HQ Graphic Novels: an exciting addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series!

Follow Cesar Chavez and the National Farmworkers Association as they set out on a difficult 300-mile protest march in support of farm workers' rights. A story of hope, solidarity, and perseverance, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the life of the famous Latino American Civil Rights leader — brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593224496
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/11/2022
Series:	Who HQ Graphic Novels
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	GN500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Terry Blas is the illustrator and writer behind the viral webcomics You Say Latino and You Say Latinx (Vox.com). He has written comics for Ariana Grande and the series Steven Universe, and Rick and Morty. His original graphic novels are Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom (Oni Press), Hotel Dare (Kaboom!), and Lifetime Passes (Abrams/Surely Books 2021). He is the writer for the Marvel superhero'series Reptil, as well as Who Was the Voice of the People?: Cesar Chavez (Penguin Workshop). He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his husband, Scott, and their dog, Alfie.

Mar Julia is an Ignatz award nominated cartoonist and illustrator from Providence, Rhode Island. Their debut graphic novel Brownstone, a collaboration with writer Samuel Teer, is scheduled for release from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Versify imprint in 2022.

Editorial Reviews

"Who Was the Voice of the People? focuses on Cesar Chavez’s march from Delano, California, to Sacramento to peacefully protest unfair wages and working conditions for grape-farm workers, also calling attention to Delores Huerta and Roberto Bustos...All the [Who HQ Graphic Novels] showcase the passions and urgency or risks behind their headline-making events and humanize the people who made them possible." — Booklist

From the Publisher

09/01/2021

Gr 4–6—Highlighting Cesar Chavez's leadership ability and his commitment to nonviolent protest, this account of the 1966 Delano Grape Strikers' 340-mile march to Sacramento alternates neatly framed comic panels with prose passages that fill in biographical and historical background. Depicting major figures in the march—Chavez; the official leader, Roberto Bustos; and the National Farm Workers Association's incomparable cofounder Dolores Huerta—with reasonable fidelity, Julia gives them a calm resolve in the face of hostile law enforcement officers and other obstacles that will stir readers. The dialogue does tend to run to slogans and pronouncements, so Kathleen Krull's Harvesting Hope is a more well-written and detailed account of the topic. Still, this is a viable alternative for its visual approach and more current resource list. VERDICT Of value as a chronicle of an effective nonviolent social protest, with a partly graphic format that broadens its appeal.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, NY

School Library Journal

2021-09-15
A look at Cesar Chavez’s role in the Delano grape strike highlights the fight for farm workers’ rights in California.

A short introductory passage peppers in facts about Chavez’s life: birth, childhood, influences, co-founding of the National Farm Workers Association. Then the story begins, slipping readers into an NFWA meeting where fellow organizers Roberto Bustos and Dolores Huerta muse about the current state of the strike—its momentum and challenges. Enter Cesar Chavez with a dreamer’s idea: a 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento through small towns and farms “to get more farmworkers to join their cause.” From there, it’s a quick overview of the preparations and the march itself, with few drawbacks (a run-in with an antagonistic sheriff presents a clear and concise image of the movement’s adversaries) and a whole lot of joyous sloganeering (“¡Huelga! ¡Huelga!”), appearances of vital figures (including Luis Valdez in a memorable sequence), and celebratory triumphs (the march’s staggering growth in numbers). In this latest installment of the Who HQ graphic novel series, community strength is represented as the key to social change. Though this depiction of Chavez often veers into saintlike reverence, the colorful artwork overall offers a resplendent portrayal of a pivotal moment in the yearslong strike. Fun characterizations (a shrewd Dolores Huerta is a gem) and one-page interjections of background context round up a solid yet glossy retelling.

A loving tribute to la causa. (timeline, bibliography) (Graphic historical fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews