Stitch by Stitch - Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt

By Rob Sanders, illustrated by Jamey Christoph

From the blanket that his great-grandmother made for him as a boy, to the friends he gathered together in San Francisco as a young man, to the idea for a monument sewn of fabric and thread, Cleve Jones’s extraordinary life seems to have been stitched together bit by bit, piece by piece.

Mentored by Harvey Milk, Jones first had the vision for what became the AIDS Memorial Quilt during a candlelight memorial for Milk in 1985. Along with friends, Cleve created the first panels for the quilt in 1987. The AIDS Memorial Quilt grew to be one of the largest public arts projects ever and helped grow awareness of HIV and AIDS. The Quilt is an iconic symbol of hope and remembrance and is Jones' shining achievement. It has since toured the world and been seen by millions.

This evocative biography is a touching tribute to Jones' life of advocacy, the positive effects of a community working towards a common goal, and an inspiring story for young readers.

Portions of the proceeds of this book will be given to the National Aids Memorial.

4-8 years/kindergarten – 3rd grade

Rob Sanders is a teacher who writes, and a writer who teaches. He does not work as a telephone sales rep, a loading dock worker, a trophy engraver, or an editor. But he used to. Rob is not a cowboy, a ballerina, an alien, or a temper-tantrum-throwing toddler. But he writes about them. Rob is a picture book author, a writing teacher, a sometimes blogger, and a dog lover. These days, he teaches elementary kids about books, words, and reading and writing, and writes books for those same kids.

Rob also writes nonfiction picture books. Like Stitch by Stitch, he's written Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights, and Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution.

Jamey Christoph’s illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and in 20 award-winning children’s books, including Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America, recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Children's Literature. An old soul at heart, his work draws inspiration from vintage advertising and travel posters and a lifelong curiosity in history, particularly in architecture, fashion, and music. He works out of his 1920s home in Cleveland Heights, OH with his crazy dogs, Jack and Teddy.

Magination Press, 2021, hardcover, 10 x 8 inches, 40 pages.