Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Neal Porter Books (2019), Edition: Illustrated, 48 pages
Description
"The true story behind the writing of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech."--Provided by publisher.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Describes how Dr. King worked on what became his famous “I Have a Dream” speech that he presented at the March on Washington. His advisors and colleagues weighed in with ideas, and he worked further on it all night. The next day as he gave the speech, he felt something was missing. When Mahalia
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Jackson shouted out for him to “tell them about the dream,” he found the spark he needed and ran with it, nailing his greatness. A contemplative start, then the rhythm picks up the cadence of a preacher’s sermon. Afterward, we descend slowly from the speech, visiting JFK and addressing his hesitation re: the civil rights movement, and hinting at the shadows now and to come. “And those battles continue to be fought.” And then a quiet uplifting ending, cadence of a sermon echoes in “stepped up to the lectern, and stepped down on the other side of history” Show Less
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Author Barry Wittenstein and illustrator Jerry Pinkney tell the story of the writing and delivery of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington in this immensely moving, beautifully-illustrated picture-book. Opening the night before the march, the
Published in 2019, A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation is a powerful, deeply moving book, one which captures an important moment in King's life, and in the history of America and the Civil Rights Movement. The text is simple but emotionally resonant, and the artwork, done in graphite, colored pencil, watercolor and collage, is simply gorgeous - a true tour-de-force demonstrating Pinkney's great skill as an illustrator. As I mentioned in my review of Christine King Farris' excellent My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I have recently been thinking of picture-books about this iconic American that I would recommend, given my strong negative reaction to Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier's popular Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is definitely another that I could wholeheartedly recommend, together with the Farris book, as opposed to the Rappaport and Collier. Like the Farris title, it captures the true message of King's life and work, the way in which that message sought to bring all people together, in the struggle for a more just society. Unlike the Rappaport/Collier, which gives the impression that the white clergy was universally opposed to the Civil Rights Movement, and which omitted reference to any white participants, the back matter here explicitly mentions a variety of key figures - Jewish rabbis, Catholic priests, Protestant ministers - who participated in the 1963 march. Highly recommended, to any picture-book readers looking for works about MLK and the Civil Rights Movement. It could pair very nicely with a more general work about its subject's life, or with the Farris book, which addresses MLK's childhood.
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narrative follows King, who had not yet finalized his speech, as he confers with his advisors, and then spends the night wrestling with his words. On the day of the march itself, we see King begin his speech, only to put it aside at the urging of Mahalia Jackson, switching to a more preacherly mode full of fire and emotion. The book concludes with an extensive afterword, with notes from both author and illustrator, a list of people who helped with the speech or attended the march, a list of sources, and a bibliography...Published in 2019, A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation is a powerful, deeply moving book, one which captures an important moment in King's life, and in the history of America and the Civil Rights Movement. The text is simple but emotionally resonant, and the artwork, done in graphite, colored pencil, watercolor and collage, is simply gorgeous - a true tour-de-force demonstrating Pinkney's great skill as an illustrator. As I mentioned in my review of Christine King Farris' excellent My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I have recently been thinking of picture-books about this iconic American that I would recommend, given my strong negative reaction to Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier's popular Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is definitely another that I could wholeheartedly recommend, together with the Farris book, as opposed to the Rappaport and Collier. Like the Farris title, it captures the true message of King's life and work, the way in which that message sought to bring all people together, in the struggle for a more just society. Unlike the Rappaport/Collier, which gives the impression that the white clergy was universally opposed to the Civil Rights Movement, and which omitted reference to any white participants, the back matter here explicitly mentions a variety of key figures - Jewish rabbis, Catholic priests, Protestant ministers - who participated in the 1963 march. Highly recommended, to any picture-book readers looking for works about MLK and the Civil Rights Movement. It could pair very nicely with a more general work about its subject's life, or with the Farris book, which addresses MLK's childhood.
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Language
Original language
English
Physical description
48 p.; 11.26 inches
ISBN
0823443310 / 9780823443314