What Louis Brandeis knows A crusader for social justice becomes a Supreme Court Justice

Emphasizing what Louis Brandeis (1856--1941) "knows," Michelson draws readers into this stirring biography of the U.S. Supreme Court's first Jewish Justice. Brandeis's knowledge begins at age five: "he knows his parents came to America in 1848" because Prague was not safe for Jews. As the child matures, his father's refrain--"Any fool knows..."--shapes his thinking. Brandeis's first battles revolve around accessing education; later, as a young lawyer facing antisemitism, he finds notoriety via a right-to-privacy case. Taking on his father's catchphrase, he helps others seek equity and fairness, work that eventually results in his swearing-in as a Supreme Court Justice. Incorporating a stark use of light and shadow, Innerst's collage-style illustrations employ gouache, acrylic, colored pencil, and digital artwork across this values-oriented biography. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Includes extensive back matter. Ages 7--10. (Oct.)

This picture-book biography follows Louis Brandeis (1856-1941) from his secular Jewish childhood in Kentucky with immigrant parents from Prague through his career as an attorney and up until the moment he became a Supreme Court justice, fighting for equality for all. The story touches on many of his educational experiences both in the United States and when the family moved back to Europe for a time; his career's focus on the needs and rights of the downtrodden; the ways in which antisemitism affected his life and work; and his devotion to his family. His father features prominently in the form of quips, advice, and truisms ("Any fool knows that all people should be treated equally regardless of their race") that Brandeis incorporated into his ideals. The serious issues that he fought for included the right to privacy, workers' rights, and women's rights, and the author is frank about the fact that Brandeis had his "enemies" and was called a radical, a socialist, a muckraker, and more. The book's present-tense voice gives the events a sense of immediacy, while the tone and palette of the stylized mixed-media illustrations aptly change from page to page. Extensive back matter places Brandeis's life in historical context, including descriptions of many of his legal achievements, a timeline, an examination of his legacy, a bibliography, and photographs. Miriam Steinberg-EgethNovember/December 2025 p.88 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

What the first Jewish U.S. Supreme Court justice knew could fill a book. Throughout this picture-book biography, Michelson reiterates the many things that Louis Brandeis knows. At age 5, "he knows his parents came to America in 1848," as Jewish refugees from Prague. And thanks to his family--in particular, his opinionated father--he knows that people should be treated equally regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or gender. That attitude informs his work as a lawyer as he successfully argues for better working hours and wages for factory workers, protects customers from railroad tycoons' exorbitant fees, and holds President William Taft to his promise to safeguard America's forests. For his efforts, he's nominated to the Supreme Court by President Woodrow Wilson. His enemies' accusations that he's a "radical, a muckraker, and a traitor" jeopardize his chances, but Louis also knows that he's "fought for ordinary citizens over the years." Letters of support arrive from far and wide. Appointed to the court at last, "Louis knows for certain that his fight for social justice has just begun." Michelson's narrative is robust, though on the dry side until the backmatter, where details truly bring Brandeis' story to life. Innerst's droll illustrations have a mystical, Chagall-like feel in some spreads, while others feel more down to earth. A solid introduction to an honorable man, known for his fair-minded rulings. (more about Louis Brandeis and the Supreme Court, photographs, timeline, bibliography, picture credits)(Picture-book biography. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.