Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park

Gr 1-3–In an inspirational picture book inspired by a true story, a community comes together to fight for their rights and bring something beautiful to their neighborhood. A young girl and her mother walk through their neighborhood on their way to the mercado, passing by friendly neighbors along the way. After years of having eyesores such as a junkyard added to the neighborhood, everyone is excited about the park that is being built. That is, until a neighbor discovers that it won’t be a park after all—it will be a police station. Members of the community decide that they have had enough and begin to protest, fighting for the park they were promised. The young girl is inspired by her neighbors and by her mother, who tells her to be valiente. Gathering her courage, she joins her neighbors, while also helping to cook meals for them as long days pass and the protest continues. The community rejoices when they secure a guarantee that the park they were promised will become a reality. Readers will notice the contrasts in the beauty and friendliness of the neighborhood with other parts, such as the junkyard. As the barrio comes together, the artwork includes not only illustrations of the people and their homes, but reflects Mesoamerican art and references to protests of the past. Text is largely in English with Spanish words sprinkled throughout, with plentiful context clues. An author’s note and additional information accompanies the text.