Martin Luther King (Mulberry books) (Paperback)

by Rosemary L. Bray (Author), Malcah Zeldis (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The colorful folk-art paintings of Zeldis (Honest Abe) again pay tribute to an American hero, this time accompanying text by a first-time children's author. Bray's able biography recalls key moments from the childhood of Martin Luther King Jr.: she describes the very young Martin's astonishment when a white friend is not allowed to play with him because he is "colored"; she shows him at 14, honored for having written a prize-winning essay about black people and the Constitution, and yet forced to give up his seat on the bus to a white man. The significant events of his adult life are also accessibly recapped. Zeldis's illustrations demonstrate her characteristic power. For the Montgomery bus boycott, for example, empty buses go back and forth, framed in a window through which Martin and Coretta King are watching. Later, a crowd watches a larger-than-life Martin deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech; in the background are such symbols as a lion lying down with a lamb. This fruitful collaboration effectively introduces young readers to the life of a great man; the unusual art may persuade those already familiar with his story to see it in a new light. Ages 7-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5?Although this biography has a picture-book format, it is nonetheless a detailed account. Bray relates several important childhood experiences that molded Dr. King, both positive (a warm and supportive family) and negative (pervasive racial discrimination). The key events of his adult life are included, leading to his fatal trip to Memphis to support the Sanitation Workers' strike in the spring of 1968. The narrative's reportorial tone is offset by the eye-catching, full-page gouache paintings. Characteristic of Zeldis's folk-art style, they dramatize a variety of events, giving life to the text with their use of vibrant, distinctive colors and providing arresting portraits of the subject and others. One illustration depicts a larger-than-life Dr. King behind bars, guarded by small-scale policemen posed on either side of his cell like bookends. The text is lengthier than a typical picture book, but can be shared orally to elicit discussion. It has more information than David Adler's A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Holiday, 1989), Dee Lillegard's My First Martin Luther King Book (Childrens, 1987), or Linda Lowery's Martin Luther King Day (Carolrhoda, 1987).?Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (January 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688152198
• ISBN-13: 978-0688152192
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,797,333 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)