Talk with my teacher

In Bridges' second picture book based on her experiences as one of the Black children desegregating New Orleans' public schools in the 1960s, she recalls returning to her school as a second-grader. She hopes to have other children in her classroom this time, and she longs to see Mrs. Henry, her former teacher and "best friend," who answered Ruby's questions and made the year enjoyable for her one student. On the first morning of second grade, Ruby is relieved that she has classmates but disappointed to hear that her beloved teacher is no longer there. The story shifts forward 35 years. Bridges' first book has been published. Has Mrs. Henry read it? When they meet again, both enjoy reminiscing about their year together. In the digital illustrations, Tran uses lines and colors beautifully to recreate the people and settings integral to the story. Besides expressing her ongoing appreciation for good teachers, Bridges remembers some of her reflections as a primary-grade student, making her perspective particularly useful in helping today's children better understand the past.

A year after becoming the first Black child to integrate William Frantz Elementary School, a young Ruby Bridges (b. 1954) approaches second grade with anticipation, the crowds and U.S. Marshals having now gone. "This school is filled with kids now," Bridges exclaims, "and some of them even look like me!" Eager to reunite with Mrs. Henry, her first grade teacher during a year that was "one for the history books," Bridges is crestfallen to discover not only that she'll have a new classroom and teacher, but that Mrs. Henry has left the school entirely. A sudden turn at the book's midpoint moves forward to 1995, when the two reunite in Bridges's adulthood, a meeting 35 years in the making. Tran's watercolor-style digital art recounts both eras with soft focus, while lengthy text dives into memory and resolution. An author's note concludes. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)

Activist Bridges shares her memories of the elementary teacher who taught her when no one else would. Young Ruby's looking forward to the beginning of second grade. Last year, in 1960, she became the first Black student to attend William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans; because so many parents pulled their children out of school in protest, she was the only child in her class. She's excited about recent changes at school: This year, she's no longer the only Black student, and she has classmates, too. But her teacher, Mrs. Henry, is nowhere to be found; Ruby has a new teacher and classroom. For 35 long years, Ruby wonders what happened to Mrs. Henry and harbors questions about her experiences. When her work as a published author makes a reunion with Mrs. Henry possible, she finally gets answers to her many questions. Though somewhat dry and a bit clunky in places, the text offers a comprehensible account of integration and the impact it had on Bridges. Softly hued digital illustrations capture Bridges' confusion as she searches for Mrs. Henry in the school halls. The book ends with an author's note in which Bridges expresses her hope that her memories will inspire a greater appreciation of teachers; she also includes a glossary of famous educators, which feels a bit tacked on. A child-friendly exploration of a landmark moment in civil rights history.(Picture-book memoir. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.