even when she knows the right answer.
She watches the hand-waving picked kids stand
in the light of classroom admiration."
Lubaya is an artist. She is also an introvert, and a dreamer. She doesn't mind not speaking up at school, even when she knows the answer. She is happy to play video games with her brother, until her own imagination carries her off to other thoughts and pursuits. She rarely pays attention to what is happening in school sports although she is a chosen team member. Lubaya is happy with her own company, and the art she creates on the backs of protest posters that belong to her parents. While her parents and brother are occupied with what's playing on their television set, Lubaya seeks solitude behind the family sofa.
A startled cry one evening brings her out from that quiet spot to learn protests are happening once more. Her parents will need their old posters for the march. A surprise awaits. Lubaya's artwork becomes the focal point for marchers; her images of a dove with an olive branch, children's hands linked around the world, the Statue of Liberty, children of different races holding hands in play, and a family marching together for a cause offer an eloquent message to all who see them.
Paintings created in oil paint and crayon are bold and filled with purpose. They show the diversity within families and communities and provide a bold backdrop for the story.
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