Holding her own :

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Holding her own :

Title :

Holding her own : the exceptional life of Jackie Ormes / words by Traci N. Todd ; pictures by Shannon Wright.

Title:

Holding her own :

Author:

Todd, Traci N.

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 29 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9781338305906

Production / Publication Information:

New York : Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2023.

Summary:

"When Jackie Ormes sees an opportunity, she takes it. She's a journalist, cartoonist, fashionista, philanthropist, and activist -- and she wants to use her artistry to bring joy and hope to Black people everywhere. But in post-World War II America, Black people are still being denied their civil rights, and Jackie has a dilemma: How can her art remain true to her signature Jackie joy, while also staying honest about the inequalities Black people have been fighting against? Traci N. Todd and Shannon Wright have crafted a gorgeous and moving tribute to the indelible legacy of America's first Black woman cartoonist"--

Bibliography note:

Includes bibliographical references.

Target audience note:

Ages 7-10

Language:

English

Added Author:

Wright, Shannon (Illustrator)

Genre:

Biographies.

Picture books.

Personal Subject:

Ormes, Jackie, 1911-1985-Juvenile literature.

Subject Term:

Cartoonists -- United States -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

African American women cartoonists -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	JB ORMES	32114002825082	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	J B ORMES, JA.	31330009277686	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	J B/ORMES	33934004615424	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	J BIO ORMES	32116004056202	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Carlisle - Gleason Public Library	J BIO ORMES	32117002223885	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Georgetown Peabody Library	JB ORMES	32120001455755	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groveland - Langley-Adams Library	JE B ORM	32121000960712	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	J B ORMES, JACKIE	30470002166485	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	J/BIOG/ORMES	31479007650301	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	J BIO ORM	31549005042337	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	J BIOGRAPHY ORMES J	32128004144995	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	J B ORMES	32132003441238	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Topsfield Town Library	J BIO ORMES	32133002671221	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	J B ORMES	31990005236141	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Wilmington Memorial Library	KIDS BIOGRAPHY ORMES	32136003586710	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book * Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

An evocative picture book biography about the prolific life of Jackie Ormes, whose groundbreaking cartoons became some of the first empowering depictions of Black women in America!

Jackie Ormes made history. She was the first Black woman cartoonist to be nationally syndicated in the United States. She was also a journalist, fashionista, philanthropist, and activist, and she used her incredible talent and artistry to bring joy and hope to people everywhere. But in post-World War II America, Black people were still being denied their civil rights, and Jackie found herself in a dilemma: How could her art stay true to her signature "Jackie joy" while remaining honest about the inequalities Black people had been fighting?

Rising stars Traci N. Todd, author of the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Nina: A Story of Nina Simone , and Shannon Wright, co-creator of the bestselling graphic novel Twins , have crafted a gorgeous and heartfelt tribute to the indelible legacy of Jackie Ormes, whose life and work still influences illustrators and cartoonists today.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

This biography of Jackie Ormes (1911--1985), born Zelda Jackson outside of Pittsburgh, follows her arc toward becoming the first nationally syndicated Black woman cartoonist, spanning her childhood in an artistic household and her time as a rhetorically gifted sports reporter relegated to the "women's activities" pages of renowned Black-owned newspaper the Pittsburgh Courier. Soon, though, she fords the funny pages of that publication with a successful comic strip called Torchy Brown, taking inspiration from both the paper's stories and "the jump and jive of Harlem." After WWII, Jackie joins the fight for civil rights in her own way: raising money and creating comic character Patty-Jo, who both speaks to wide-ranging social concerns and is designed "to make people smile." Todd's reportorial text hints at Ormes's journalist beginnings and quick wit, while Wright's paneled illustrations alternate between images of the subject and spreads that follow her maturing art style. Ages 7--10. (Jan.)

Kirkus Review

An effervescent tribute to Jackie Ormes, widely considered to be the first nationally syndicated Black woman cartoonist in the United States. In a buoyant profile and then a more detailed afterword, Todd takes her scandalously little-known subject from an exuberant child who "fills every space she can find" with drawings to the successful creator of several pre-- and post--World War II comic strips featuring strong-minded young Black characters--notably Patty-Jo and Torchy Brown--who confront prejudice and fear in "quiet, mighty ways." Reflecting her prominence in Chicago's African American community, Ormes cuts a stylish figure in the jazzy illustrations, and Wright slips in samples of Ormes' work to capture its vitality as well as the "Jackie joy" that characterized it. "I was always fighting battles," she said, and along with championing women's rights to work (and play: One cartoon reproduced here has Patty-Jo, dressed in tatters and holding a football, indignantly telling her mother, "What'cha mean it's no game for girls? We got feet too, ain't we?"), she was active enough in social causes and the early civil rights movement to be investigated by the FBI. Rather than complete this picture of her life, the author and the illustrator leave a blank page to represent the decades between her retirement from comics and her death in 1985, but there's enough here to keep readers marveling at her distinctive character and achievements…and likely wondering why it's taken this long to discover them. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Long-overdue but welcome recognition for a pioneering graphic artist. (artist's note, bibliography, photos) (Picture-book biography. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Following the success of Nina (2021), Todd offers another engaging picture book biography of a Black woman artist in this account of the life and times of Jackie Ormes, the first Black woman to have a nationally syndicated newspaper comic strip. Jaunty artwork by comics artist Wright (Twins, 2020) perfectly sets the tone with bright colors, visual references to classic comic strip conventions, and animated versions of Ormes' iconic cartoon characters Torchy Brown and Patty-Jo. Ormes' varied career is fascinating, and Todd's engrossing and well-researched text really does it justice, describing her skill with language in her newspaper columns, the sly awareness at work in her comic strips, and the philanthropy her success allowed her to perform. Along with that success, however, came heightened attention from federal agencies suspicious of powerful Black Americans: the FBI trailed her for a decade. Todd's ability to seamlessly weave in important historical context adds important depth to this celebratory and joyful story of a woman undauntedly following her passions. There's a dearth of books about Ormes for children, and her success is an important part of the history of American comics that is often overshadowed by more familiar names; this bright, informative, and inviting book should start to turn that tide. Extensive back matter bolsters the already strong content.