A California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
A compelling account of Simon Tam’s fight for free speech that ended with a landmark Supreme Court decision
Music is a way to transcend cultures and divides. Simon Tam used his band’s name, The Slants®, to make a powerful statement that racist insults could no longer be hurtful to Asian Americans. But then the U.S. Trade and Patent Office tries to stop him. In his eight-year battle to win trademark protection, Simon would go all the way to the Supreme Court in a landmark case to rout out structural racism in our government systems. Mia Wenjen takes us back to Simon’s early days and the formation of the band, to the long battle to claim the name they chose to use. We learn of his motivations and the years-long struggle that leads ultimately to the Supreme Court of the United States. Told using lyrics from the band’s hit song about their trademark fight, this compelling story will keep readers riveted until the dramatic ending. We Sing from the Heart gives background and context to the significance of Simon’s quest, not just for him and his band, but for free speech rights for us all. Newcomer to children’s books, Victor Bizar Gómez, channels the indie music world with dynamic artwork that compliments the storytelling and is sure to draw in readers with his exciting graphic approach.
Praise
"Where Wenjen shines, however, is in communicating the passion with which Tam dedicated himself to fighting for equality and combating racism. Gómez illustrates the narrative with dyanmic, collagelike digital art in a limited palette of muted colors. Each spread also features a quote from the song “We Sing From the Heart” that The Slants wrote about the experience. . . Inspiring in spirit,"
—Kirkus Reviews
"Go´mez, in his first book for children, captures the drama of the struggle with flat graphic illustrations, playing with size and perspective to add further emotion to the story. Mono- and duo-chromatic pages in muted retro colors, all full spreads, make the pages feel like album art. VERDICT Books for young readers about contemporary court cases that relate to anti-racism are few and far between. Purchase this book to fill that gap, especially where there is an additional interest in biographies of musicians."
—School Library Journal
"This sophisticated picture book eloquently shares Simon’s story, effortlessly integrating straightforward narrative, imagined exchanges that propel the action, explanatory footnotes, and song lyrics excerpted from “From the Heart,” The Slants’ anthem about their trademark struggles. The collage-like illustrations are especially effective in capturing action and portraying emotion, whether showing Simon rocking out on the cover or turning on his tormentors as a child. Rich back matter includes profiles of other Asian American anti-racism activists, a bibliography, and extended notes from Wenjen and Simon Tan himself. This entertaining and timely account brings freedom of speech and civil rights into sharp focus."
—Booklist
