Young Andy Johnson has energy galore as he joyfully plays with his two sisters. Andy likes running, jumping, kicking, and more, but what he likes best is to fight battles with his older brother Isaiah. With lightsaber swinging and protected by a cut-out pizza box shield, Andy feels brave. When Isaiah accidentally knocks out Andy’s two front teeth and Dad tells them to stop fighting with lightsabers, Andy grabs his sword, the Destroyer, and is ready to take his revenge on Isaiah. But Mom calls the boys to come for breakfast, putting a stop to the fight.
When Dad tells the four children that they are going to a march in Chicago, Andy pictures himself dressed in armor and carrying the Destroyer as they march into battle. Isaiah explains that this is a different kind of march—a march for justice.
Andy asks, “What is justice?”
Dad explains, “Justice is when everyone is treated fairly. … Justice looks like a world that’s filled with the love and compassion of God. Justice happens when no one gets special treatment because of their money or race. And the poorest and the weakest are protected.” Dad also mentions that marching for justice is a way to let political leaders know when things aren’t as they should be and to urge them to bring about positive change.
When Andy asks if he can bring the Destroyer to the march, Dad tells him that they will each make another kind of weapon—a sign with a pro-justice slogan on each one.
At the march, Andy is amazed to see all the people—Asian, White, Black, Hispanic, and more—joining together to work for change and a better world. When the march is over, Andy tells Dad, “I love the way we fight.”
In this picture book for young children, renowned theologian and author of Reading While Black, Esau McCaulley, invites children and adults to celebrate a fictional Christian family where parents teach their kids about God’s desire for justice and show them how to pursue justice in their society.
Illustrator Emmanuel Boateng captures the passion of a young biracial boy, the love displayed for God and others in a Christian family, and the energy and power of joining with justice-seekers on a march. (Convergent)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.