Customer Reviews

As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom

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This is a good nonfiction picturebook for older children interested in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s. It compares the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Polish Jew who fled the Holocaust as a young man and came to the United States, where he was drawn into the civil rights movement, and became one of MLK's allies in the Jewish community. Both men were bright, articulate and charismatic, and they were both motivated by their sensitivity to injustice, which they saw plenty of in their own young lives. The book shows how people from different cultures and divergent faiths can join together for a common good, and transcend the differences that are often used to keep people apart. Although their religious faith is mentioned, it is used in a restrained, tasteful way, making the book accessible to more secular or nondenominationally-oriented readers. Good starting point for a 20th Century civics/history lesson. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

A Baptist preacher from Atlanta and a rabbi born in Poland join forces in the name of justice and share a personal knowledge of oppression and a dream of civil rights which turns into a positive movement for change. AS GOOD AS ANYBODY provides a powerful story of how two men's experiences with discrimination changed their lives, and makes for an uplifting and different kinds of civil rights story.

Two very special clergymen, one a rabbi, the other an African-American reverend are raised in divergently different countries yet experience similar levels of persecution and bigotry that will one day bring them together as colleagues in America's struggle for civil rights. The little boy, Martin, is angry at the "Whites Only" laws and signs around his Southern home, but his father wisely teaches him to look up instead of down and "the way things are is not the way they always have to be." His mother assures him he is "just as good as anybody!" In the pre-Nazi era Poland of Abraham's childhood, anti-Jewish sentiment is already spreading with "No Jews" signage and the public burning of Jewish books. Emulating his father, Abraham studies and prays with him, but when he wishes to learn more, he is barred from formal schooling by Hitler's laws. Leaving for America, Abraham speaks out for peace and equal rights, reminding everyone "God did not make a world with just one color flower. We are all made in God's image." Michelson focuses on a much forgotten yet significant moment in American civil rights history when "Jews and Christians joined hands" to march together as black and white Americans. Led by the great Reverend King Jr. and distinguished Rabbi Heschel, similar values and ideals are delineated with soft textured colored pencil and watercolor illustrations. Colon uses brown/yellow tones depicting early Southern scenes against blue/greens for European pre-war images. Both settings come together in final pages highlighting a blending of skin tones with all races linked in a march for equality. Powerful as well as thought-provoking to engage in discussion of unity and the need to find common ground in a nation's divisive history.REVIEWED BY RITA SOLTAN - WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI

I absolutely loved this book and its wonderful retelling of this amazing, true story in such a sensitive and engaging manner for a young audience. I checked it out from the library first because I had heard about it, and then promptly ordered my own copy and several others as gifts. Every American should own this book--and certainly every African-American and/or Jewish household should have its own copy to proudly share with children and grandchildren. Uplifting!

In this biographical picture book, we learn the stories of two people from very different backgrounds, but who both struggled for equality. One is an American boy named Martin, the son of a minister who is angry when he sees "Whites Only" signs everywhere in his community. The other is a Polish boy named Abraham Joshua Heschel, the son of a rabbi who follows in his father's footsteps. When he's a young man, he's kicked out of his German university because he's Jewish and is angry when he sees "No Jews Allowed" signs everywhere.

Abraham goes to America in hopes for a better life, but when he arrives, the country is in the throes of the Civil Rights Movement. He hears of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the boy we met in the beginning, who is now a man, and joins him in the Selma Freedom March.

Raul Colón's rich pencil and water color illustrations complement the books serious and deferential tone. He explains his palette choices in the jacket flap. The illustration of Abraham's boat arriving in the choppy waters of Ellis Island with the Statue of Liberty standing tall is particularly stunning, and the final illustration of King and Heschel provides a sense of hope.

This is the inspirational story of two powerful men who joined forces to bring change to the world. A must-read for every child, and a must-have for every classroom.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. It is appropriate for children and adults alike. In it we learn of a little-known account in the Civil Rights Movement, when Rabbi Herschel joined Dr. King in his amazing march for freedom. The story is so important because it is true; it is our country's history from our not-too-distant past. Both men believed in brotherhood and peace and unity, and they had amazingly more in common that would appear. The illustrator did a phenomenal job also. This is a 5 star book. Add it to your library; you won't be disappointed !

The other reviewers gave terrific descriptions. I only wanted to add that we found this completely appropriate for our 4 & 5 year old children. Very inspirational story!

The life stories of Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel are artfully woven together here to make their meeting seem inevitable. Parallels are drawn, such as the frustration of growing up among institutionalized prejudice, and the strong values instilled by family. The complex political situations these men faced are poetically distilled to their essential elements of bigotry and injustice, so that the story is understandable even to readers without much background knowledge. The first half of the book describes Martin's youthful anger at the status quo and his growing determination to change the system. The second half details Abraham's struggle to escape European anti-Semitism and his recognition of Martin's plight as similar to his own. The book ends with the 1965 Selma march where the two men walked arm in arm, and Abraham famously said that he felt like his legs were praying. Paul Colon's signature colored-pencil-and-watercolor artwork is a perfect compliment to the text. He respectfully renders the well-known faces of the central characters, but infuses them with an energy that shows them as active participants in the story rather than as staid historical figures. Subtle overtones of warm American brown and cool European blue distinguish the separate stories, and combine in a full-color palette when Martin and Abraham finally meet. This picture book makes accessible a fascinating slice of American history, and will appeal to Jewish readers, African American readers, and anyone with an interest in issues of social justice. Highly recommended. Grades 2-5 Reviewed by Heidi Estrin

Richard Michelson has written an important story that all elementary teachers should be sharing with their classes. It can be read to coordinate with Black History Month or to support another story that deals with discrimination. But teachers should use this and refer back to it for its excellent strong writing to model for children. I taught 4th grade for 35 years, am also an author, and now supervise student teachers. The writing is tight, beautiful, and uses strong verbs. Michelson is gifted in his ability to weave together the lives of the two civil rights leaders it compares/contrasts. Wonderful book!