Lindsay H. Metcalf and I have teamed up today with a picture book list on the Supreme Court. We have teamed up in other ways as well; we co-wrote a picture book biography that is currently out on submissions. This book list showcases a range of topics that the Supreme Court has ruled on.
For Lindsay’s newest book, the trail was about the status of tomatoes — fruit or vegetable? My picture book about Simon Tam’s attempt to trademark his band’s name reveals structural racism in our judicial system.
Lindsay and I are giving away a signed copy of each of our books to one winner. Please leave a comment below to enter. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses.
p.s. Here’s one more about our legal system:
Trial and Error by Robin Newman
Review by Caroline Starr Rose:
“TRIAL AND ERROR touches upon themes of justice, fairness, and right and wrong.”
11 Picture Books about the Supreme Court
Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit V. Vegetable Showdown by Lindsay H. Metcalf, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
Produce merchant John Nix wanted to import Bermudan tomatoes in 1886, but the New York customs house collector declared the tomatoes vegetables and levied the 10 percent vegetable tariff. Imported fruits were not taxed, so Nix took his argument that tomatoes are a fruit to court. The Nix v. Hedden case wound up in the Supreme Court, which declared tomatoes a vegetable; people eat them primarily in savory dishes. [picture book, ages 7 and up]
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Victor Bizar Gómez
Simon Tam tried to trademark his band’s name, The Slants, but it was rejected because the name was perceived to be racist against Asian Americans, and yet his band was made up of solely Asian American musicians. In his nearly nine-year battle, Simon exposed racism in the U.S. judicial system, ultimately winning his case in a unanimous Supreme Court decision. [picture book, ages 8 and up]
I Am Ruby Bridges: How One Six-Year-Old Girl’s March to School Changed the World by Ruby Bridges, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith
The Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation case gets a six-year-old’s first-person perspective with Ruby Bridges’ autobiographical account of being the first Black child in the all-White elementary school in New Orleans. Readers experience Ruby’s confusion and optimism as federal marshals escort her past screaming White protestors into an empty classroom. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman’s Case for Equality and Respect by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Jeffery Boston Weatherford
Mary Hamilton rose during the Civil Rights Movement, challenging Jim Crow laws in the South. Arrested again and again during her nonviolent protests, she refused to respond when authorities called her by her first name, a sign of respect often denied to African Americans at that time. A judge jailed her for contempt of court, and her Hamilton v. Alabama case made it to the Supreme Court—and won. Now, anyone in a courtroom must be addressed with honorifics such as miss, mrs., or mr. [picture book, ages 7 and up]
I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough with Grace Lin, illustrated by Julia Kuo
Won Kim Ark was a Chinese American man whose landmark case in 1898, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, reaffirmed that anyone born in the United States is a U.S. citizen, regardless of their parents’ citizenship status. This book neglects to include the pogroms, expulsions, and massacres against Chinese immigrants during this time, including the Los Angeles Chinese massacre of 1871 and the Golden Dragon massacre in San Francisco’s Chinatown, which likely was the reason Wong Kim Ark permanently relocated back to China after winning his case. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America’s First Gay Wedding by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Robbie Cathro
An innovative story structure parallels the process of baking a wedding cake, told from the point of view of two groom figurine toppers, with the United States’ first gay marriage, between Jack Baker and Michael McConnell in 1971 in Minnesota. A detailed timeline illustrates the long road to same-sex marriage legalization, beginning with this couple’s repeated denials by the Supreme Court and ending with nationwide legalization resulting from the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges case. [picture book, ages 6 and up]
The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko, illustrated by Sean Qualls & Selina Alko
Mildred and Richard Loving challenged the law that made interracial marriage illegal. Mildred was of African American and Native American descent, and Richard was white. In 1966, the Lovings hired lawyers to fight against this law that was created to preserve the “purity of the white race.” The case made it to the Supreme Court, where the justices ruled unanimously in favor of the Lovings. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
Sylvia Mendez’s family took on segregation in Mendez v. Westminster, seven years before the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, but their story is largely unknown. Their fight is still relevant today, where segregation is still prevalent. [nonfiction picture book, ages 6 and up]
Free to Learn: How Alfredo Lopez Fought for the Right to Go to School by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Mirelle Ortega
In Texas, a law was passed that undocumented children could not go to school, yet the Tyler schools allow children from every country except Mexico. Alfredo Lopez’s parents decided to fight the law, and the Texas law was found to be unconstitutional. [picture book biography, ages 4 and up]
Fred Korematsu Speaks Up (Fighting for Justice series) by L
This series celebrates real-life heroes and heroines of social progress. This is Fred’s story of standing up for justice by refusing to go to Japanese Internment camps for simply being of Japanese descent. He went to jail for resisting and his courage made the United States a fairer place for all Americans. [ages 10 and up]
Fred Korematsu: All American Hero by A
Using a comic book format, this book tells the story of Fred Korematsu, a mild-mannered ordinary welder working in a shipyard who fights for justice during WWII. [graphic novel, ages 8 and up]
Tomatoes on Trial AND We Sing From the Heart Signed Book Giveaway!
Lindsay and I are giving away a signed copy of each of our books to one winner. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses. This giveaway ends in one month. Leave a comment below to enter about your favorite children’s book that touches on legal topics.
Please leave a comment below to enter.
Congrats to Emily! She won the pair of signed books!
Lindsay H. Metcalf is a former journalist who writes nonfiction and poetry for young people. She is a co-editor of and contributor to several young activist poetry anthologies, including No Voice Too Small, which won the International Literacy Association’s 2021 Social Justice Literature Award, and No World Too Big, which won both the ILA Social Justice Literature Award and the Green Earth Book Award in 2024. Three of her picture books were named Junior Library Guild selections: Tomatoes on Trial; Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm; and Farmers Unite!, a Bank Street Best Book of 2020. Her 2020 debut, the picture book biography Beatrix Potter, Scientist, won the Friends of American Writers Young People’s Literature Award. Lindsay began her writing career as a reporter, editor, and columnist for The Kansas City Star and other news outlets. She lives in north-central Kansas with her husband, two sons, a geriatric cat, and a mischievous puppy. Learn more at lindsayhmetcalf.com and @lindsayhmetcalf on social media: Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads.
p.s. Related posts:
When Mixed Race Marriage Was Illegal: What They Don’t Teach in History Books
10 True Kidlit Immigration Stories
35 Immigration & Refugee Experience Books for Kids
Civil Rights Movement for Kids through Art and Books
Top 10: Best Children’s Books On the Civil Rights Movement
Civil Rights Movement Books for 4th Grade and MLK Day
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The Traveling Taco:
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The Supreme Court books would be a huge help as I begin to help students understand what is happening in our country. Thank you for the chance to win these books.
This is a great list. I’m a civics teacher in middle school, and the struggle to find picture books about important supreme court cases is REAL. I wish we had ones about student rights like W Virginia v Barnette, Tinker v Des Moines, etc.
This is a great list! I was familiar with most of these, but not ‘We Sing From the Heart.’ Thanks for sharing!
I am a Special Education teacher who left the field to homeschool my two daughters. As a homeschool Mom I am always on the look out for great books I can share with my daughters, and the homeschool community we’ve built up. We’ve been slowly building our book collection, and don’t currently have any social justice books in it, but have been loving books that teach about the government such as “House Mouse, Senate Mouse.”
These are all very intriguing to read and discuss with readers, even teens! I used to have some of these in my past school library but I don’t have anything like them in my new school library.
As always, such a list with diversity at the heart of it. Thanks for bringing these Supreme Court books to our attention. I have to say, I’m a bit disappointed in the decision to call the tomato a vegetable!
This is an excellent list to introduce the Supreme Court as well as other historical legal issues to readers. I read and enjoyed We Sing from the Heart.