A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Published in 1989, this picture-book biography of Civil Rights leader and American hero Martin Luther King, Jr. covers all of the major events of his life, from his birth in 1929 to his tragic death by assassination, in 1968. His childhood, in which he learned of the injustices of racial segregation, his education and marriage, and his actions as one of the most visible leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, are all covered. The book concludes with a timeline of King's life...

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the second entry in author David A. Adler's massive forty-volume Picture Book Biographies series that I have read, following upon A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus. It pairs a simple but informative text from Adler show more with what look like watercolor illustrations from Robert Casilla, who also worked on a number of other entries in the series. Although I wouldn't describe it as an outstanding example of picture-book biography, it accomplishes its purpose, and would make an excellent first introduction to its subject matter, for younger children. Because it covers King's entire life, it could be paired with books about specific topics, such as Christine King Farris' My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., about MLK's childhood, or Barry Wittenstein's A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation, which addresses his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. Any or all of these books would make a much better choice than the popular but flawed Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier. Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy biography, or are interested in MLK, as well as to teachers planning a primary school unit on the King and/or the Civil Rights Movement. show less

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David A. Adler is nonfiction picture book that fits the biography genre by clearly presenting key moments from MLKs life in chronological order. The author uses simple language and strong characterization to show MLK as brave, determined, and committed to equality. The illustrations support the text by showing important historical settings and emotions, helping young readers better understand the time period. This book is relevant to children because it introduces themes of fairness, courage, and standing up for others in an accessible way. Personally, the book encourages readers to reflect on how small actions and peaceful choices can make a meaningful impact in their own life.

This picture book really captures the true greatness of Martin Luther King Jr. From the illustrations to the strong dialogue, this story was nothing short of amazing. The illustrations in this book show such detail in each person's face, that it is not hard to detect what they are feeling. For example, the most powerful picture to me was the one during his famous speech. You can see in Martin Luther King Jr's face how serious he is. I also love how descriptive the author was. He went into every detail of MLK's life. Finally, I am impressed by the use of dialogue. There were excerpts from MLK's famous speech that made this story all that it could be and more. For anyone who wants to learn more about MLK I would strongly recommend this story.

I like this picture book for a few reasons. The first reason I liked it was because the book is because it pushes readers to think about the tough issue of equal rights for African Americans. For example, the author describes Martin Luther King Jr’s work as “…protests and marches demanding fair laws for all people.” Another reason why I liked this book was because the illustrations enhanced the story. The watercolors and light pastels created a somber and serious mood when talking about such an important civil rights movement. For instance, when the illustrator portrays Martin Luther King Jr performing his speeches he is portrayed in bold dark navy blue while the rest of the background is in light blues, yellows, and other show more neutrals. The illustrator is emphasizing the importance of the main character here. The final reason I like this picture book is because it makes a complicated event easier for young readers to digest. Helping students to understanding the character with well-paced and clear language like briefly quoting his famous “I had a dream..” speech. The big message is to follow your dreams and what is right. show less

There are numerous reasons why I liked this book. The first reason is the beautiful illustrations. The illustrations really enhance the story and help the reader visualize the emotional impact he had on numerous people. One of my favorite illustrations is actually one of the first pictures of the book. It is the iconic picture of Martin Luther King Jr when he is giving his “I had a dream speech” however, it is unlike any other picture I have every seen. The pictures look like they are done in watercolors and there is no background, but just a light blue shadow around the men pictured. I think this is an excellent choice by the author because it keeps the focus on Martin Luther King Jr. and how powerful his words were. Also the show more author chooses to include part of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I had a dream” speech. I think this really pushed readers to think about the racial issues that are going on in society today. The I have a dream speech is so iconic and powerful, but I think it is important for children to read it, and feel the emotion, feel how unfair so many people were being treated. The part of the speech that the author includes is “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” I think the big idea of this book is to encapsulate Martin Luther King Jr.’s life in a easy read for children. show less

I like this book for two reasons. One reason why I like this book is because of the illustrations. the pictures in this book are so realistic and detailed, they show the emotions of the characters and shows the story by just the pictures. If they were not any words, you could tell clearly what is happening just by the pictures. You can clearly see how passionate Martin Luther was in the story and how sad African Americans were. Another reason why I like this book is because of the point of view. Even though it is an biography, it is in third person. I think it works better that way because it tells the story, it shows how everyone is feeling not just the main character. The main message of the story is to inform the readers about the show more life of Marin Luther King Jr. show less

I liked this book because it focused on a very life-changing person and events while still keeping in mind that children were the target audience. The big idea of this book was the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The two factors in this book that I liked were the illustrations and the plot. The illustrations looked like they were done with water-color paint. I feel that this adds a memory or dream-like feel to the book. I enjoyed the plot because it not only focused on the amazing work Dr. King did in his adult life, but also on the ordinary events in his life like going to college, getting married, playing as a kid. This gave a view of Dr. King as a normal person.