What a delightful children's book, a winner! This is the first book I have read from this author and can say it was done very well.

Here we are taught about porters - who they were and why they were so important in our history. They worked in early train cars and because they travelled the country and learned much, many Pullman porters became leaders back in their home communities. They would read newspapers, listen to conversations, talk among each other and see the transitions rapidly changing the country in the decades after the Civil War. He eventually landed at the forefront of the civil rights movement.

This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. A must read!!

**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Wonderful summary of the Pullman Porter history. While I knew some of the details, I learned many more details from this story than I ever did in history classes.

Nice illustrations, warm and inviting. The facial features on the drawings are well drawn, looking almost like oil paintings at times.

Overall, a very nice book that should belong in many schools and libraries.

Have you heard of the Pullman Porters? If so have you realized how important they were for things in our society such as civil rights? In this fascinating illustrated children’s book author Vanita Oelschlager tells us about this occupation and also how they were significant to the civil rights movement. I thought the book was beautifully illustrated and fact based. Fascinating!
Travel on railroads in the 1800s was extremely uncomfortable. In 1857 a man from Chicago name George Pullman invented something to make traveling by rail more comfortable (and also to make railroad travels more lucrative). Pullman invented railroad cars called Pullman sleeping cars that had comfortable beds and also dining cars with meals. These cars had fine linen and also were heated. To staff these cars people were hired called Pullman Porters. Pullman Porters were hired to take care of many things for their clients from shining shoes, serving meals and attending to customers’ various needs. Former slaves were hired for these positions. The book goes over how these Pullman Porters worked and also the requirement for someone to be hired. Eventually these workers were unionized in 1937. Rosa Parks was asked by a Pullman Porter E.D. Nixon to refuse to go to the back of the bus. Their union head was A. Phillip Randolph was credited with the start of the Civil Rights movement and Randolph himself introduced Martin Luther King during his famous 1963 speech at the Lincoln Memorial.
Overall a fascinating book of history, civil rights and trains. I recommend it and my kids thoroughly enjoyed it.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Vanita Books and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

I had no idea what a Pullman Porter was until I read this interesting and beautifully illustrated book. The text and the illustrations create a warm and fuzzy atmosphere, but at the core of the story I felt embarrassed, sad, and uncomfortable by most of what I read. Thank you NegGalley and Vanita Books for a downloadable copy of this beautiful book..

As a train enthusiast, I could definitely appreciate the history being depicted here. Gorgeous illustrations, though I wish the written elements had been a bit less textbook-ish.

Appreciate the resources listed throughout, which I'd love to track down to learn more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early look at this book.

This nonfiction picture book shares the history of how after the Civil War, many black men were able to get jobs working as porters on Pullman sleeping cars. I was already aware of this history because of histories and old-fashioned novels that I have read, but I enjoyed learning more about the job and the generational social significance of working as a Pullman porter. These men persevered despite poor pay, tough job conditions, and the racism and condescension of the passengers on their trains, and many of them became leaders in their communities and greatly contributed to the Civil Right's Movement.

This book is simple and suitable for a child audience, but it is also great for older readers who are interested in a quick glimpse into this mostly forgotten part of black history and America's past. The illustrations, historical details, and references to other resources are all great, and I really enjoyed this.

This is a wonderful book to teach the history of the Pullman Porter's. This book has wonderful pictures to help bring the story to life. It tells of what the Porter's life was like and how important they were. It is a wonderful history book but done in such away that it is fun to read. If I find anything wrong with the book it is just too short. I enjoyed reading it and would share with my Grandkids

This is a very short book, gorgeously illustrated, that teaches children about the history of Pullman porters. Most of us just remember them from old movies, but they have a more important role in history. After they unionized in the 1930s, they began to get more politically active, and played an important role in starting the Civil Rights Movement. And who knew that Whoopi Goldberg's grandfather was a Pullman porter? Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall was himself a Pullman porter, as was his father.
This book is a good jumping off point for further exploration.

Do you know a Pullman porter? Most likely you don’t. Porters came into existence after the civil war. A group of former slaves were hired to assist passengers and keep things running smoothly on the sleeper cars. The sleeper cars were new inventions made by George Pullman. As the porters assisted the mainly white passengers, they discovered the importance of reading and education. Even though porters were often insulted by the passengers and were given hard work, the porters eventually were respected. A union was formed in the 1930s that became involved with the civil rights movement.

The author has written an excellent nonfiction book of a history that is being forgotten. The illustrator did an exquisite job of illustrating this picture book. It is a book to be read and enjoyed by all ages. I enjoyed and learned a few things I didn’t know about porters. It’s a great read!

This was one of my new favorites about the Pullman Porters. I found that Oelschlager didn't shy away from the ugly parts of our history. Minimal Sugarcoating (which I especially appreciate as an African American), beautiful art, and just a wonderful presentation of African American History, I'm beyond pleased.

What a wonderful story of the life on the railroad what these men had to go through and have to tolerate from other people. Well written!!

I hate that I found this book so late! I thought it was an awesome glimpse into a part of our history not much talked about. My students don't know about Pullman Porters let alone passenger trains. The pictures were a wonderful part of this informative book. I liked the little extra pieces of information thrown in beyond the text of the book. This would be a great picture book for all grade levels for kids to learn more about our history.

This is one aspect of history that has often been overlooked. The book "Pullman Porters" helps to bring back to life the many men who worked as Pullman Porters on trains across the country.

FABULOUS READ! This is a must to read to your kids!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

Some history of the railroad, african-americans post civil war, and the civil rights movement all rolled into one informational text. Vanita Oelschlager has created a book that not only informs but encourages you to ask questions to further your learning.

A great book I shared with my entire family. We all learned a lot from this book and it makes me wish for the older times when trains were bigger in personal transportation.

This is a simple story of the role African-Americans played in the development and service provided on long journeys across the USA.
Shortly after the American Civil War there was a drive for railway transport to be more civilised and comfortable. This promoted the rise of Pullman sleeping carriages and the need for cheap labour to act as Pullman Porters. Recently freed slaves between 25 & 40 we’re encouraged into such positions.
The job was demanding, serving rich passengers by meeting their every needs. Long hours, poorly paid in roles predominately acting as servants.
The book beautifully illustrated explains why they were often called George, relied on tips and forged an early civil rights movement.
I love history and this is a vivid, illustrated guide to a job made redundant by the advent of air travel. The job may be lost but it’s rich traditions and place in the advancement of the ‘American Dream’ should be remembered.
Pitched at children this is a book that tells a humble story of how employment, educational aspiration and social mobility enabled descendants of Porters to become more prominent Americans. It is a rich heritage and deserves to be remembered.
This short book does that very well and reminds any reader picking it up that life has often been a struggle and we all share the same humanity.

This is a great book for students on so many levels -- history of train travel, segregation, Civil Rights.... It will enhance many classroom discussions.

The Pullman Porter by Vanita Oelschlager is an amazing children's book. It chronicles the fascinating history of train travel in the United States and the men who served them. It is so interesting to trace the importance of the Pullman Porters through history and the Civil Rights Movement. I think this book is an important read for children and their parents as well. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

The Pullman Porter gives the history of African American men who took on the job of taking care of passengers on George Pullman's passenger trains. They handled everything from the moment you got on the train to the moment you departed. If you've ever watched any older movies that involve train sleeper cars you've probably seen Pullman and all that was expected of them.
The emphasis on education and how the men learned the whole time they were working and listened to what was going on around them was so nice to see. I had no idea that they helped start the civil rights movement and even worked so closely with a president to better work conditions and started a union.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful and getting to learn more about train history and the men who made it possible for so many passengers to have a good experience.