Carlotta's Special Dress

★ “A patterned cotton dress… is the focal point of this riveting picture-book autobiography…. Eminently relatable to children… [with] a tight chronological approach…. The illustrations wonderfully capture the feel of the 1950s.”–Booklist, starred review
“The story [Carlotta] writes here joins the preserved garment as a reminder of her harrowing journey. There’s strength in this story’s centering of hope… making what Carlotta went through understandable for youngsters without glossing over the hate that fueled her need to be a hero instead of just a student.”–Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Underlining the intersection of everyday and historic moments, Walls LaNier and Frazier Page take a child’s perspective to recount Walls LaNier’s experience in integrating Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957.”–Publishers Weekly
“This colorfully illustrated, heartfelt account gives young readers an excellent introduction to the turbulent integration of public schools in the South… An intimate, well-crafted glimpse at the Civil Rights Movement.”–Kirkus Reviews

Carlotta Walls LaNier is a member of the Little Rock Nine, who gained national attention for the role she played in desegregating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. LaNier received the Congressional Medal of Honor and six honorary degrees, and now speaks at venues across the country. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

Lisa Frazier Page a professional-in-residence at Louisiana State University, and a former editor and award-winning reporter at the Washington Post. She is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream. She lives in the New Orleans metropolitan area with her husband.

Vanessa Brantley-Newton is an author, illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion illustration at FIT and children’s book illustration at School of Visual Arts. She is the author-illustrator of Just Like Me and Grandma’s Purse and has illustrated many beloved children’s books, including the New York Times bestseller King of Kindergarten. Vanessa lives in North Carolina.

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