Coretta Scott

Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is a short poetic biography of the late Coretta Scott, Martin (Michael) Luther King Jr’s wife. While being a poem of few words, the illustrations speak powerfully. Each page is filled with intense and vibrant colors blaring across each page. One of my favorite lines from this picture book is, “Coretta walked all of five miles to the nearest colored schools in the darkness with the dew dampening their feet…white school bus left a funnel of dust on their faces.” On these two particular pages, the illustrator, Kadir Nelson, did a spectacular job of showing just how unequal, powerless, and ultimately disadvantage these siblings must have felt as they watched the white show more children pass by on the bus. Overall, this book was an easy read and enjoyable, but it is not without flaw. My first complaint is that the poem was very short and often felt jerky, as some poems feel. Secondly, I would have liked to have just a slight bit more factual information. While I loved this poem, I felt as if I was longing for more information. show less

This lovely illustrated book tells the story of a young girl, grown to woman, who always carried the possibility and light of freedom.

Walking to school with her siblings, while the buses carrying white children passed by, Coretta knew in her heart that there had to be a better day coming.

Meeting Martin Luther King, Jr. solidified that feeling. And both put words and feelings into actions.

Lush illustrations and lovely text render this a book I'll purchase and read to my grandchildren.

This lovely picture book (with illustrations by Kadir Nelson) putatively honors Coretta Scott, but I felt it was more about her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. (An afterword for adults is, however, focused more on Coretta.) The book doesn’t cover at all the period after King’s assassination, when Coretta took on a leadership role, founding the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, becoming an anti-apartheid activist, campaigning against homophobia, and actively participating in the women’s movement. The fact that over 14,000 people attended her funeral in 2006, including U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and their wives, attests to the great importance show more of Mrs. King herself, and the esteem in which she was held.

Although the text of this book is lovely, and the pictures outstanding, I hope to see additional books for children that recognize this important woman for her own achievements separate from those of her husband. show less

I liked this book because it conveyed factual information through poetry and beautiful illustrations. I liked how the poem recounts some of the accomplishments of Coretta Scott using literary devices such as similes to produce vivid images in our mind. "Some southern mornings the moon sits like an orange sliver by the treetops." Furthermore, I liked how Kadir Nelson created illustrations that provoked a message of their own in the book. For example, on the page that talks about "more boycotts and sit-ins" Kadir Nelson paints a picture of four African Americans sitting at a counter. They seem to be in shadows in major contrast to the stark white background. The picture reminds us of the huge divide between blacks and whites during this show more time period. This poem is able to describe the trials and triumphs of African Americans during the Civil Rights movement through the lens of Coretta Scott's life. show less

The illustrations in this book were very realistic. It gave life and put into prospective the problems that African Americans, even as children had to go through. The one page of the dust hitting Coretta and her siblings as a result of being left behind on the bus due to the color of their skin was disheartening and saddening. The use of bright colors and bold facial expressions showed how powerful and impactful this scene was. I loved how the book ended with a popular song lyric letting the reader linger on to the hope that was instilled in the people during this time period. This book was a quick glimpse into Correta's life and how she overcame the struggles of having to fight for freedom.

This poetic take on Coretta Scott Kings life goes through the tough life of Ms. King. She came from a time of segregation when she and her siblings walked miles to school, past places where slaves sang. Coretta began marches to prove that not everyone was free and orchestrated some of the largest marches and protests on D.C. and Alabama. This may be one of my favorite Illustrated books by Kadir Nelson so far. You can just tell he used his imagination a bit more while still focusing on light and darkness, he uses less shadows overall. Perhaps leaving more for the imagination of the viewer.

This poetic book, targeted at ages 4-9, tells Coretta's story in a very broad sense and is inclusive of other heroic, marginalized black people. This book highlights the fight against segregation in efforts to move to a post Jim Crow society. The church hymns sprinkled throughout seem metaphorical for the fight to freedom, or the promised land. This book evokes a sense of hope and determination paired perfectly with paintings that belong in art museums. This illustrator, Kadir Nelson, has won multiple Caldecott and Coretta Scott King awards.