The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford--Ally, Activist, and Founder of PFLAG

by Rob Sanders, Sam Kalda (Illustrator)

Overview

The Mother of a Movement is a true story of parental support and unconditional love. 

The Mother of a Movement tells the story of Jeanne Manford, the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). When her son Morty was beaten by New York City officials for handing out pro-gay leaflets, Manford wrote a powerful letter to the New York Post to complain about how Morty was treated. In the letter she came out as the mother of a gay son. The letter was published. Morty invited his mother to march with him in the June 1972 Christopher Street Parade. While marching, she had the idea to form a group to help parents and families of LGBTQ+ people. That was the beginning of PFLAG.
 

• The Children’s Book Council Children’s Favorites Award 2023 for books published in 2022
• 2023 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List
• 2023 Orbis Pictus Recommended Book from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
• Finalist for the Jane Addams Children's Book Award in the Younger Children Category
• 2022 FOREWORD INDIES FINALIST

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433840203
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	741,854
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 12 Years

About the Author

Rob Sanders is a former elementary school teacher who writes funny and fierce fiction and nonfiction. He is the author of such acclaimed titles as Stitch by Stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt, Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution., and Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights.
He lives in Brandon, Florida. Visit robsanderswrites.com and @RobSandersWrite on Twitter.

Sam Kalda is an illustrator and artist based in Saint Paul. His commissioned works include editorial, book, advertising and pattern illustration. In 2017, he received a gold medal in book illustration from the Society of Illustrators in New York. His first book, Of Cats and Men: History's Great Cat-loving Artists, Writers, Thinkers and Statesmen, was published in 2017 with Ten Speed Press. He is the illustrator of When We Walked on the Moon, and the follow-up, When Darwin Sailed the Sea. Visit samkalda.com.

What People are Saying About This

Suzanne Manford Swan

My parents showed families how to love and affirm their LGBTQ children. This is a beautiful celebration of my mother’s life and work, and a powerful story of the importance of allyship.

Editorial Reviews

10/10/2022

In the tradition of picture books centered on a parent-child bond, rhythmic repetition reinforces messages of love and acceptance in this biography of PFLAG cofounder Jeanne Manford (1920–2013). Structured as a question-and-answer narrative, Sanders begins with a wide-lensed query: “What does a mom do?/ Some listen and love./ Learn and lead.” A page-turn later, the phrasing tightens to reveal Manford’s specific actions: “What did this mom do?/ She raised three children./ Caring. Nurturing. Teaching.” Variations on the question subsequently repeat, referencing the figure’s roles as “teacher-mom,” “mom of grown children,” and “mom of a gay son,” as, following an attack that hospitalizes her child, Manford moves into LGBTQ allyship and establishes PFLAG, modeling how a loving parent’s advocacy can impact families everywhere. Kalda’s crisp, ’60s-influenced digital illustrations provide an equally strong through line, representing connectivity between individuals of varying abilities and skin tones. Expansive support materials conclude. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Jeanne Manford spoke out publicly and fought by her gay son Morty's side at a time when it was dangerous to do so. She had strength and courage, but it was her unwavering love for her son—and fierce desire to protect him from discrimination, harassment, and harm—that inspired her activism. And now, the organization she founded, PFLAG, has provided support, education, and advocacy to hundreds of thousands of families, and millions of people over the last five decades. The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford—Ally, Activist, and Co-Founder of PFLAG is a beautiful depiction of Jeanne's legacy, and a testament to the power of a parent's love for their child. 

Brian K. Bond

★ 2022-08-17
A good parent shows up—and stands up.

Jeanne Manford was an excellent mother. When her son Morty told her that he was gay, she accepted him. When Morty was later attacked while protesting discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, Jeanne took action: She started by writing a letter that was published in the New York Post that declared that she loved her gay son, a groundbreaking move in the 1970s. Jeanne was also a founding member of PFLAG, which began in 1972 as POG, or Parents of Gays, before becoming Parents FLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). In 2014 the group changed its name to just PFLAG to be more inclusive. In rousing prose, Sanders describes how Jeanne helped motivate other loving parents to create a support network of allies who have diligently worked to help defend equal rights for queer individuals. This is a valuable tool for research projects, with backmatter that includes information on Jeanne’s son Morty Manford, PFLAG’s history, a robust list of sources, and an up-to-date selection of other titles about queer history. Jeanne presents as White; racially diverse individuals are represented in the illustrations. The artwork has a timeless feel, though with a hat tip to the earthy tones of the 1970s. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Stylish, chic, and strong. Brava! (discussion guide, glossary, image of a protest poster created by Jeanne) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews