Lola Out Loud by Jennifer Torres, illustrated by Sara Palacios

Published on August 26, 2022

Lola Out Loud

By Jennifer Torres

Illustrated by Sara Palacios

Reviewed by Elizabeth DeVincenzo

This picture book is inspired by the childhood of civil rights activist and labor leader Dolores Huerta.   Dolores or “Lola” lives in California with her mom at the hotel that she manages, the Hotel Delano.   Lola is very outgoing and not quiet at all.  She loves to interact with all the hotel guests and ask a lot of questions, sometimes to her mother’s embarrassment.  Her grandfather gives her the nickname “Lolita Siete Lenguas”- Little Lola Seven Tongues- all fighting to be heard.   As she runs around the hotel, singing and dancing while she does her chores, her grandpa tells her “For now, you must keep quiet, only don’t forget- sometimes one strong voice is just what we need.”  Lola observes that her mother sometimes lets her guests (mostly migrant farmers) pay with tomatoes when they don’t have money and if they didn’t have tomatoes, she would let them stay with a “handshake and a promise”.    One day Lola looks out her window and notices a cable car conductor order two migrant workers, a young girl and her mother to leave because they couldn’t pay their fare.   Lola, observing the unfairness of this incident, decides to use her “seven tongues” to help and leads the hotel guests outside to protest this injustice, while Lola’s mom sets two more places at the table in their kitchen.  This inspiring historical fiction picture book provides a fine introduction to Dolores, activism, compassion and social justice.  It also serves as a good resource for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15).  An author’s note provides biographical information about Dolores as an adult.  For further reading, I suggest the biography for children, Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers   by Sarah Warren.   Pair this with Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Maker’s Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel for more inspiring reading about young activists.

Favorite Quote- “Si se puede!”  “Yes, it can be done!” -  Dolores Huerta

Target audience- children ages 4-8

School Library Journal- Starred Review- 7/1/22

More information about Dolores and her life today can be found at DoloresHuerta.org