My Protest

by Linda Gaston-Bessellieu, Tawana Bessellieu & Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb Illustrated by Juanita Taylor

Formats

Softcover

$14.99

E-Book

$3.99

Softcover

$14.99

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 9/3/2020

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 8.5x11

Page Count : 26

ISBN : 9781664128200

Format : E-Book

Dimensions : N/A

Page Count : 26

ISBN : 9781664128194

About the Book

Go on a journey with Jaliyah as she explains what her experience was like during a recent peaceful protest and how she perceives the effects of Coronavirus.

Authors receive national recognition through the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD®!

Canton, GA -- The INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD recognized My Protest by Linda Bessellieu; Co-Authors: Tawana Bessellieu & Jaliyah Webb; Illustrated by Juanita Taylor in the Childrens: Nonfiction category as a Distinguished Favorite.

The competition is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, book cover designers and professional copywriters. Selected IPA Award Winners and Distinguished Favorites are based on overall excellence.

My Protest is an illustrated book that depicts the Black Lives Matter protest in Sandy Springs, Georgia and the effect of the coronavirus through the eyes of a four-year-old child. It is meant to help young children better understand the meaning of protesting and being safe with the risks of the virus.

When asked what she wants readers to take away from this book, Bessellieu answers, "The need to ask and listen to how young children perceive major things going on around us in this world. They have feelings and their perception of things should not be ignored. It should be discussed in a way they can understand. It also can help children to better comprehend without fear or leaving it to their own interpretation of serious issues."

REVIEWS

"...pleased to find a work that so clearly and simply describes what it feels like to be part of a passive protest. For those who feel threatened by such demonstrations, this children’s book should be a real eye-opener, with it serving to dispel many myths and fears related to such socio-political activity." –– Readers Favorite

My Protest is written simply and straightforwardly from a child's viewpoint. It's rare to find a book on such an important topic that is so accessible for young children...Sharing the photograph of her granddaughter holding her sign at the protest will inspire kids and show them they can make a difference too. My Protest is a book that teachers and parents will appreciate having as a resource. –– Kristine Zimmerman

In 2022, the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD had entries worldwide. Authors and publishers from countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Jordan, Puerto Rico, Switzerland participated.

Books submitted included writers based in cities such as Anchorage to Memphis; from Berkeley to Philadelphia; Calgary to Sydney; from Albuquerque to New York City; from Princeton to Santa Monica as well as others.

"We are proud to announce the winners and distinguished favorites in our annual 2022 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD. This year included an array of quality and diverse independent books," Olczak said. "It's crystal clear that independent publishing is pushing on every corner of the earth with great content. We are thrilled to be highlighting key titles representing global independent publishing." said awards sponsor Gabrielle Olczak.

For more information please visit independentpressaward.com; and to see this year's list of IPA Distinguished Favorites, please visit the website pages: https://www.independentpressaward.com/2022distinguishedfavorites ###

About the Author

Linda Gaston-Bessellieu is a retired teacher. Collectively, she spent thirty years in the New York City & State school systems. During her career, she worked as a disciplinary “Dean of Students” and a Health Education teacher. Co-Authors: Tawana Bessellieu is the mother of Jaliyah. Tawana is a preschool teacher. Jaliyah is four years old. Tawana and Jaliyah recently attended a peaceful protest. Tawana and Linda, (Jaliyah’s grandmother), thought it would be interesting to share how a preschool age child views the effects of Coronavirus, the “Black Life Matter” protest and what they endured that day.

Customer Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "My Protest". This book is very enlightening as it introduces those both young and old to the power of letting one's voice be heard through protest. By teaching individuals of all ages to rise up and stand alongside one another is an essential and integral part in ensuring justice prevails. As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

C Weaver
My protest I absolutely love My Protest. Visualizing the protest and pandemic through Jaliyah’s eyes was remarkable. Simply written in words small children can understand. An excellent teachable moment in current events. A must-read to help children develop awareness and involvement in current events and civics activities.

C. Ariane Durden
Linda Gaston-Bessellieu, with her daughter Tawana Bessellieu and granddaughter, Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb, has written a timely and important story called My Protest. Told from a child’s point of view, My Protest tells the story of attending a Black Lives Matter protest during the time of Covid. Our young protester explains what protesting means to her. She also explains why she is wearing a mask. We see the protest through her eyes. She shares the words they are chanting as they walk and talks about the people they meet and see along the way. A very powerful picture shows the sign she carries, ‘My Life Matters’.
Linda Gaston-Bessellieu has done a remarkable job relating what a protest looks and feels like for the youngest listener. My Protest is written simply and straightforwardly from a child’s viewpoint. It’s rare to find a book on such an important topic that is so accessible for young children. Young children often see and hear more than we think, so it is so important to have a book like My Protest, which can be used to help them understand the world around them. The soft pastel illustrations by Juanita Taylor fit the story perfectly. Gaston-Bessellieu wrote the story based on her granddaughter’s experience participating in her first Black Lives Matter protest. Sharing the photograph of her granddaughter holding her sign at the protest will inspire kids and show them they can make a difference too. My Protest is a book that teachers and parents will appreciate having as a resource.

Kristine Zimmerman
My Protest, written by Linda Gaston-Bessellieu and illustrated by Juanita Taylor, is a non-fiction children's book centered around the Black Lives Matter protest attended by the primary author's daughter and grandaughter, Tawana Bessellieu and Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb. Told through the eyes of four and a half-year-old Jaliyah. The experience is further underscored by the prevalence of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, as Jaliyah describes what she saw, heard, and felt when she joined family members in one of the many powerful Black Lives Matter marches. Written in the first person and with the raw honesty that only an innocent child has the capacity to convey, Jaliyah recounts masks and raised fists, signs declaring that her life matters and the forms of support offered by allies, and the emotional and physical exhaustion as the day came to a close.
The first thing that is important to remember when reading My Protest is that it is non-fiction and that this is little Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb's experience. The writing does not have the polish that similar books that are meant to explain and inspire social activism, but in this specific narrative the juvenile syntax and style appear to be written this way with genuine intent. It feels personal and Linda Gaston-Bessellieu remains true to her grandaughter in this regard. Juanita Taylor is a gifted artist and the simple illustrations provide visual representations of the day without detracting from the message. There is a degree of discomfort that readers could have with the use of phrases like “...so black men, children, and women won't get killed...”, but as the mother of children of color myself, it's tiresome to have to constantly put the potential discomfort of others above the severity of what the protests stand for, and the lives of millions of people. Recommended.

Jamie Michele
My Protest by Linda Gaston-Bessellieu, Tawana Bessellieu, and Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb is a fitting story for times like these where racism is at an all-time high. Told from a child's perspective, it recounts her experience of going to a Black Lives Matter protest. This unique true story is brilliantly inspired by the author's 4½-year-old granddaughter, who had joined the protest with her mother during the Coronavirus pandemic. Having heard her granddaughter's perspective on the event, the author realized that we rarely think of how children perceive perplexing and problematic events that can be troublesome even for mature adults. Armed with this new knowledge, the author decided to share this story, hoping it would shine a light on the complexity of racism for young children. With eye-catching illustrations, this short story has a way of getting to your heart.
An incredibly refreshing new take of the protest against racism! By reading My Protest, I was firmly able to grasp what a child may have thought of the Black Lives Matter movement. Realistic and moving, I felt that Linda Gaston-Bessellieu, Tawana Bessellieu, and Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb wrote the perfect book for a parent to discuss with their child about racism and why it is so wrong to treat someone differently based on the color of their skin. The story portrays the message against racism clearly, in a way that a child can easily understand. With cute and colorful illustrations, My Protest captures the attention of its readers while its message appeals to their hearts.

Cassie Widjaja
My Protest by Linda Gaston-Bessellieu, Tawana Bessellieu, and Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb is about a little girl who went to a black lives matter protest with her mother, aunt, and cousin. She notices that she’s not the only kid at this protest but there are others with their parents also. Defining it the best way that she can, she tells us that they are walking and saying things so that black people will stop being killed. Since this happened during the covid outbreak, the little girl, her cousin, and everyone around them had to wear masks so they don’t catch the virus. As they were walking, they were shouting ‘No justice, no peace’ and ‘black lives matter. Signs were being held up as well as fists. Our little narrator had her sign that said ‘my life matters’, which her mother helped her make. She noticed how people driving by as well as police officers were looking at them, then there were nice people offering water and rides to those protesting. The girl ended up liking the experience, but it had been very tiring for her and she was exhausted by the time she got home.
I thought My Protest was an amazing book that discussed a very serious movement in a way that a child audience could understand. It’s very difficult to discuss and address the inequality and racism that people of color still face to this day, along with the police brutality and the number of black men and women who lost their lives at the hands of the people that swore to serve and protect everyone regardless of color. This book provides that opening for future discussions on the subject. The illustrations are also beautifully done and fit perfectly with the storyline, as well as being a nice and vibrant visual aid for children. Linda Gaston-Bessellieu has done an amazing job with this story, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Tiffany Ferrell
The picture book and early reader My Protest, written by Linda Gaston-Bessellieu and co-authored by Tawana Bessellieu and Jaliyah Bessellieu-Webb, describes from a first-person perspective how a little girl, Jaliyah, together with her mother, aunt, and cousin Camille, attends a Black Lives Matter protest. She describes how they walked together, carrying poster signs supporting the aim of the protest, which was to help prevent black people from getting killed. Jaliyah describes how they all wore masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. She also shares the instructions given by the leader of the march and tells of the helpful bystanders’ reactions. The book ends with a photo of Jaliyah and her mother picketing in the street.
Based on the real-life story of her granddaughter’s experience of a Black Lives Matter protest, My Protest is Linda Gaston-Bessellieu’s first book, although, from the fluent and exciting way in which it is written, she could be an experienced author with scores of books to her name. As a keen picketer myself, and having run foul of the police a few times in a similar context, namely in anti-apartheid demonstrations, I was really pleased to find a work that so clearly and simply describes what it feels like to be part of a passive protest. For those who feel threatened by such demonstrations, this children’s book should be a real eye-opener, with it serving to dispel many myths and fears related to such socio-political activity. If you are sympathetic to the cause and wish to encourage the development of a more accepting and understanding attitude toward an issue like this, why not buy a few copies to pass on to those around you (especially those with young children) who need some awareness building in this direction?

Lois Henderson
A True Story & an Exciting Read!

Imagine the curiosity, fascination, and life lessons a young child would experience as a participant in a powerful protest! Teamwork, participation in government, current events, following directions, writing, art, civil rights, and the list continues! As a public school educator for over 35 years, the learning potential connected with the book is enormous!

I highly recommend this true story to be shared with family, friends, and anyone who knows someone with a young child.

I look forward to a book series to follow!

ribb
Beautifully written book. Accurately depicts the experience of this four year old. I will be purchasing another book for my 3year old niece who participated in the protest in NYC.

TT Davidson
This is a wonderful book, told thru the eyes of a beautiful mind. When children that young experience a situation of hate, it shows we need a change in the world. Great job young lady. God Bless you.

Caridad Garcia
As a teacher this book is awesome to share with my students! I especially love the fact that it’s seen from a child’s perspective! Go out and get your copy.

Shari Dawkins
I highly recommend this book for children. I bought the book for my 4 year old granddaughter. I found it excellent for her age.

T.J. Bellinger
This short, but important story tells us the story of a Black Lives Matter protest and the realities of protesting and being safe with risks of coronavirus. The story is told through the eyes and words of a young child. A must for families with young children.. they need to understand the crises facing us in their own language.

Dr CAB
My grandchildren and I enjoyed this book.

Betty
Absolutely enjoyed the book. Its a very necessary and important experience coming from our future.

Toya McJunkin
Highly recommended. I read this story to my class during the height of the BLM move. They really enjoyed it.

Pam Williams
What I liked most about this book is that it truly speaks from a young child's perspective of current events as they unfold and become part of history.

Cynthia Smith
I highly recommend this book, an excellent read for children, written from a young child perspective. This is a must read for all children of all ethnicities.

Peter E Johnson
Absolutely loved the book!! Read it to my 4 and 5 year old class and they were completely engulfed in it. They enjoyed listening to it as well as looking at all the adorable well illustrated pictures. Wonderful book!!

CakeMistress
I really loved the simplicity of the spoken words of Jaliyah as she experiences her first peaceful protest! A great way to have children read and understand the difficult times that we have been in lately! I do hope that it can be read by teachers in the nursery and primary grades!!

dfrisher
I enjoyed the concept and realization that young children, when involved, understand what is happening in this world today!. At 4 1/2 years old, it was remarkable to experience, comprehend and recall the incident and process.
This book must be purchased and read to young children. As an educator, I found this book nurturing and truthful. My grandchild, 3 years old, loved the pictures and the storyline. When I completed reading the story, the question session began.MY

Elaine Brittenum
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the way it depicted the protest and the effect of the pandemic through the eyes of 4 year old Jaliyah. I read the book to my 2 year old grandson and he enjoyed it. I know he did not really understand the true meaning of the protest or the pandemic, but I can not wait until he gets a little older so I can read it to him again, so he never forgets the things we went through in 2020. The illustrations were beautiful and I loved the picture of Jaliyah and her mom at the end of the book. It just brought the authenticity of the story to life. Jaliyah, thank you for sharing your experience with the world.

Chalise Williams

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