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

A timely and inspiring picture book biography of Jessica Govea Thorbourne, a Latina labor activist who worked alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta to bring attention to the plight of migrant farmworkers.

When Jessica Govea Thorbourne was four years old, she began picking crops in the California fields. One resilient girl, doing what was needed to help her family. As Jessica grew up, she saw her community struggling. Farm workers were being treated unfairly. But she was just one child. What could she do?

Jessica stood up for justice and learned to organize for change, passing out flyers, speaking to crowds, and rallying other kids to petition for a neighborhood park. As an adult, she joined the United Farm Workers and played a pivotal role in the success of the California Grape Boycott. Though her journey started when she was very young, Jessica found her voice and empowered others to fight for their rights.

Jessica showed that making a difference can start with just one child.

Angela Quezada Padron is a Latina author-illustrator who spent her childhood days writing stories and doodling on the garage walls of her New Jersey home and her summers visiting family in the Dominican Republic. As the Seas Rise: Nicole Hernández Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice is her author-illustrator debut. She’s also the author of From the Fields to the Fight: How Jessica Govea Thorbourne Organized for Justice. She won first place in the Portfolio Showcase at the 2023 Florida SCBWI Conference and was a semifinalist for the SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award in 2014. Visit her at AngelaPadron.com.

Sol Salinas is a non-binary artist from San Antonio, Texas. At a young age, they fell in love with history while watching old Hollywood movies with their grandmother. When they aren’t drawing, Sol can usually be found playing Dungeons & Dragons, collecting rose quartz, drinking warm cups of tea, and listening to their favorite music: Fleetwood Mac. Find more at SolSalinasIllustration.com or on Instagram @SolsticeIllo.