Sewing the Rainbow
A Story About Gilbert Baker
Gayle E Pitman author Holly Clifton-Brown illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:American Psychological Association
Published:22nd May '18
Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date
5th-6th grade Finalist in 2019 Children’s Choice Book Awards
2019 ALA GLBT Round Table Rainbow Book List
National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA)
Gilbert Baker always knew he wanted a life full of color and sparkle. In his small, gray, flat Kansas hometown, he helped his grandma sew and created his own art whenever he could. It wasn’t easy; life tried over and over again to make Gilbert conform. But his sparkle always shone through. He dreamed of someday going somewhere as vibrant and colorful as he was.
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco during the gay rights movement of the 1970s, Gilbert’s story unfolds just like the flag he created: in a riot of color, joy, and pride. Today the flag is everywhere, even in the small town where Gilbert grew up!
Includes a Reader Note that provides more in-depth discussion of the beginnings of the gay rights movement and a more detailed look into Gilbert Baker's place in our shared history.
5th-6th grade Finalist in 2019 Children’s Choice Book Awards
2019 ALA GLBT Round Table Rainbow Book List Selection
NCSS-CBC 2019 Notable Social Science Trade Book for Young People
National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA)
“An enduring symbol of the LGBTQIAP+ community.” –Booklist
“A colorful tribute to Gilbert Baker… creating the rainbow flag after a conversation with Harvey Milk. The art is beautiful and bright, transitioning powerfully from a subdued Kansan landscape to a flamboyant Bay Area…. It's clear this book has a lot of love for the flag's promise.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The story of the rainbow flag is just as much Gilbert Baker’s story as it is the LGBTQ+ movement’s story. Dr. Gayle Pitman tells the story of a sensitive boy who loved art and grew up to unite the world. Holly Clifton-Brown’s colorful illustrations give us an apple-cheeked, sweet-faced boy who just wants to create; her artwork goes wonderfully hand-in-hand with Dr. Pitman’s prose to engender empathy in reader… This story pairs nicely with Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno’s book, Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, which has a nice little cameo by a grown-up Gilbert. Sewing the Rainbow is a must-add to your biography collections.” —Mom Read It
"I love how this story teaches us about Gilbert Baker and his legacy, but is also unapologetically direct about the importance of letting kids be themselves even if their personalities don’t fit into some kind of society approved gender-specific boxes. Personalities are meant to shine, not be squashed and molded into a form that we think is appropriate." —From the Inside
"I am so happy to see a picture biography about Gilbert Baker and his legacy, which can at times become sidelined when when we focus on Harvey Milk in our queer history....I appreciate how paralleling the story of his creating the rainbow flag is his story of being free to be himself after childhood and early young adulthood experiences of peoples’ disapproval of him. This is, of course, what the flag represents. The story celebrates unity, in diversity, symbols, creativity and that we should never feel ashamed of letting our inner sparkle show. The illustrations are bright and colorful, perfect for the story. This is an important addition to your units on inclusion, tolerance and lgbt history."—Miss Marple's Musings
ISBN: 9781433829024
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
32 pages