TROUBLED WATERS: A RIVER’S JOURNEY TOWARD JUSTICE, by Carole Boston Weatherford and Bryan Collier, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Jan. 20, 2026, Hardcover, $20.99 (ages 4-8)
Troubled Waters: A River’s Journey Toward Justice, by Carole Boston Weatherford and Bryan Collier, is the story of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, as witnessed by the Alabama River.
Some say water is the mightiest force on earth.
But the yearning for freedom is even stronger.
For centuries, the Alabama River has been a witness. Buried in its riverbed are countless fossils and artifacts-as well as souls, secrets, and stories.
Troubled Waters brings history to life through the voice of this mighty waterway, from the earliest settlers on its shores to 1965, when Black citizens in Selma rose up like a river to demand their right to vote.
In this original picture book, celebrated creators Carole Boston Weatherford and Bryan Collier show that the Alabama River is much more than a witness to history. It is also a source of strength, keeping hope afloat through times of trouble; and a rising tide, coursing on a journey toward justice. —Synopsis provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
It’s easy for people to forget how hard fought the right to vote has been. Troubled Waters reminds readers that not too long ago, a large portion of the American population had to fight for that very right.
But Troubled Waters tells more than one story. It touches on history along the Alabama River from 10,000 BCE through Aug. 5, 1965 when The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed “poll taxes, literacy tests and other obstacles that infringed upon the right to vote.” It’s a fascinating history that is marked by many milestones and many hardships.
Author Carole Boston Weatherford’s rich narrative pulls you in with a weightiness only water can carry. And illustrator Bryan Collier’s use of color and space through mixed media is visually stunning.
Troubled Waters would make an excellent addition to home and school libraries.
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