From the Fields to the Fight: How Jessica Govea Thorbourne Organized for Justice

Jessica Govea Thorbourne’s work is brought to life in this picture book biography. FROM THE FIELDS TO THE FIGHT shares the story of the Latina labor activist who started picking crops at 4 and eventually joined the fight for justice alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

Jessica Govea Thorbourne’s story is written beautifully. The book and author specifically show how one person, one community, can fight to make the world a better place for people like them. Just about every other page has a line similar to that. One girl, one fruit, one community. Repeated over and over, driving the point home. One person can make a change, can cause an effect that ripples through a community.

Colorful art decorates the pages of this picture book. It isn’t always vibrant, toning it down and turning on shades of black and gray when necessary to convey a specific tone. It shifts as needed to flow with the story. But it does always look wonderful. When the illustrator wants you to, you can even read the emotions of people in the background.

I don’t want to describe this book as a lesson. It contains a lesson but first and foremost it is the story of an activist and how she fought to bring about change. But the lesson is so important as well. Jessica Govea Thorbourne realized that one person, one child, can make a difference if they learn and stand up for what they believe is right. Adults and children can both take that lesson to heart. It’s not easy, the book shows that, but change doesn’t happen if people don’t fight for it.

An impactful biography about Jessica Govea Thorbourne and her life of activism, FROM THE FIELDS TO THE FIGHT is such an important story for kids and adults. With beautiful illustrations that convey its tone, it makes a mark that I hope sticks to readers.