The Faith of Elijah Cummings

The North Star of Equal Justice

Carole Boston Weatherford ∙ Illustrated by Laura Freeman

Hardcover

Published on Jan 11, 2022 | 40 Pages

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Ebook

Published on Jan 11, 2022 | 40 Pages

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Grades 1–4
Ages 6–9

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD WINNER • Congressman and civil rights advocate Elijah Cummings dedicated his life to public service. This comprehensive and visually stunning biography details his humble beginnings and unwavering faith as he waged an endless battle for truth, justice, and equality.

We can do better.

When Elijah Cummings was a little boy, he struggled in school. His teachers thought he talked too much and asked too many questions. They said he’d never be able to read or write well.

Despite his difficulties, Elijah never gave up. He persevered, having faith that with hard work, he’d be able to achieve his goals.

Best known as a voice for people of color and an advocate for equal opportunity, Elijah Cummings was a man of faith and dignity, a beacon of justice, and an unrelenting warrior for equality and change.

Carole Boston Weatherford and Laura Freeman marry words and images beautifully in this picture book biography of politician and civil rights champion Elijah Cummings, detailing his inspiring journey—from his humble beginnings as the son of former sharecroppers to his unwavering faith as he became a lawyer, state legislator, and leading congressman. Best known as a voice for people of color and an advocate for equal opportunity, Elijah Cummings was a man of faith and dignity, a beacon of justice, and an unrelenting warrior for equality and change.

“Interspersing direct quotations throughout, Weatherford offers a thoughtful biography of Black civil rights advocate and congressman Elijah Cummings.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Beginning with remarks from Nancy Pelosi, this picture book biography combines Freeman’s expressive artwork with Weatherford’s illuminating text to focus on the highlights of Cummings’s life and career.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Weatherford and Freeman paint a tender picture of the leader that shows his sensitivity and concern for others, rooted in his religion, that spanned his entire life.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This biography of the iconic social justice activist and political leader is sure to inspire readers of all ages." –The Horn Book

ISBN 9780593306505 (Hardcover)
Published on Jan 11, 2022
Published by Random House Studio
Pages 40
Dimensions 10 x 10
Age Range 6-9 years
Grade Grades 1-4
Reading Level Lexile: 850L | Fountas/Pinnell: S

ISBN 9780593306512 (Hardcover Library Binding)
Published on Jan 11, 2022
Published by Random House Studio
Pages 40
Dimensions 10 x 10
Age Range 6-9 years
Grade Grades 1-4
Reading Level Lexile: 850L | Fountas/Pinnell: S

ISBN 9780593306529 (Ebook)
Published on Jan 11, 2022
Published by Random House Studio
Pages 40
Age Range 6-9 years
Grade Grades 1-4
Reading Level Lexile: 850L | Fountas/Pinnell: S

Carole Boston Weatherford

Carole Boston Weatherford is a two-time NAACP Image Award Winner, an ALA-ALSC Children’s Literature Legacy Award Winner, and the author of Standing in the Need of Prayer, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner; Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, which won the Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Awards, a Caldecott Honor, and a Sibert Honor; the Newbery Honor Book Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom; Family Feast!; and many other acclaimed books. She was also named the 2025–2026 Young People’s Poet Laureate. Carole was born in Baltimore, where she now resides.

Laura Freeman

Laura Freeman is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, for which she won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and NAACP Image Award. She received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts and has illustrated over thirty children’s books, including Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice and The Faith of Elijah Cummings: The North Star of Equal Justice. She lives with her family in Atlanta.