I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [Hardcover]

Walter Dean Myers (Author), Leonard Jenkins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of the most celebrated figures of the twentieth century. A crusader for nonviolent social justice, he led African Americans in their demands for equality through peaceful protests during one of the most tumultuous times in recent history.

Set against key moments in the civil rights movement, here is the story of the powerful, eloquent spiritual leader and his belief that nonviolence could be used to overcome racial discrimination.

Walter Dean Myers's moving narrative and Leonard Jenkins's compelling paintings portray a vivid and striking image of the man who moved American society closer to the ideals of freedom and fairness. Dr. King's dream that all Americans would be judged by their individual actions and character is one we still cherish today.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-This eloquent picture book presents a brief overview of King's life and accomplishments. The text focuses on events beginning with the 1955 arrest of Rosa Parks and King's leadership during the yearlong boycott that eventually resulted in the integration of buses in Montgomery, AL. The book ends with his support of the striking sanitation workers in Memphis in 1968 and his assassination a few days later. In a clear and cogent manner, Myers frames King's political efforts and his belief in nonviolent demonstration for change with information about the personal consequences to the man and his family. The author also paraphrases some of his subject's most powerful speeches without quoting them directly. Jenkins's stunning collage artwork dramatically reflects the events described in the narrative. Information about how protestors were frequently assaulted is paired with an abstract street scene, the frighteningly toothy profile of a chalk-white guard dog front and center. In a spread depicting King's famous speech about seeing the promised land, he is shown with his arms gracefully yet compellingly uplifted; the power and beauty of his words are reflected in the brightly colored background, while fiery red tones foreshadow his murder. This book makes an excellent starting point to introduce young readers to King and should be coupled with Doreen Rappaport's Martin's Big Words(Hyperion, 2001), which so effectively provides access to the words that made him famous.-Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 3. Dr. Martin Luther King is perhaps the mostfrequently requested biography subject, so there's always room foranother book about the heroic leader, especially when it's apicture-book biography as good as this one. The focus here is on hispublic image, and words and art combine the essentials of his lifestory with an overview of the civil rights movement. Jenkins'dramatic, double-page collage illustrations set close-up portraits ofthe leader against crowd scenes of political marches and violentconflict. Then, after the glory of the March on Washington, there's adouble-page spread showing the horror of the Birmingham deaths. Thebook ends with King's assassination, but words and pictures show hisstrength and his enduring message against racism and for peace. Thisis for a younger audience than Myers and Jenkins' Malcolm X: AFire Burning Brightly (2000). There's also much less here about thesubject's personal struggle, but when read together, the two titleswill stimulate debate about issues of protest andnonviolence. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Amistad (December 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060277033
• ISBN-13: 978-0060277031
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( M ) > Martin, Dean
  • #26 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( K ) > King, Martin Luther
  • #53 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Religious

More About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great balck history month read, February 7, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Hardcover)

This is a book about Martin Luther King Jr. We learn that he stood for peace not violence. He wanted everyone to be treated equally no matter what color their skin was. Some people did not like the way Dr King went about things. They sent him mean letters and he even ended up in jail. Dr King never gave up or gave in to violence. He always stood strong in his beliefs.

I learned a lot from this book. I knew a little about Martain Luther King Jr but this story taught he much more.

This book would be helpful to elementary students when writing reports Martin Luther King Jr. There is a helpful time line with dates of important events listed in the back of the book. This is a great book to read during black history month.

4.0 out of 5 stars Learning about One Man's Dream, September 7, 2004

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Hardcover)

Walter Dean Myers has created a good introduction to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his book I'VE SEEN THE PROMISED LAND. Through the story, children are presented with his basic biographical information beginning with his birth in 1929 and ending with his assassination in 1968. In addition, children are briefly introduced to the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. Myers also shares some of the highlights of Dr. King's work in the movement and some of the personal sacrifices he made to do the work.

Overall, this book serves as a pleasant introduction to the life of Dr. King. The illustrations were enjoyable and really enhance the story. My biggest criticism is that it seems to define the Civil Rights Movement as a whole and Dr. King's life as synonymous. While Dr. King did have a major impact on the Civil Rights Movement, it was much bigger than King alone and included countless other heroes and sheroes throughout the nation. This book is by no means comprehensive, but as an introduction the author doesn't do a bad job presenting the information in a way that very young (his target audience) children will be able to grasp.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers