Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
What Was Your Dream, Dr. King?: And Other Questions About... Martin Luther King
Illustrator: Jim Madsen
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 7 to 9
Sterling Children's Books, 2013 ISBN: 978-1402790454
On a hot steamy afternoon in August in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C facing thousands of people who had traveled from all over the country to be there. He gave a speech that had a huge impact on many who were there and on thousands more who heard or read the speech later. He talked about how he had a dream that one day the world would be a different place, a place where children of every race could play together. He wanted “love understanding, and peace to be more powerful than hate, ignorance, and war.”
Why did Martin Luther King Jr. talk about children of different races being able to play together? The world that Martin grew up and lived in did not allow African American people to have the same rights as white people. Martin and other African Americans were not allowed to use the same public facilities, such as restaurants and schools, as white people. This segregation troubled Martin and his supporters because they did not want African Americans to be treated as second class citizens.
Peacefully protesting against segregation took courage, because those who supported segregation were determined to hold on to it. They did not want their world to change and were willing to do just about anything to stop Martin. How did Martin find the courage that he needed to oppose these people? Seeing the injustices that were piled onto the shoulders of his people helped Martin to stay the course no matter what was done to him.
As every parent and teacher knows, children have a tendency to ask a lot of questions. In this excellent title the author chooses a selection of questions to answer that will help young readers to learn about the life, work, and times of Martin Luther King Jr.
In this Good Question! title well written text is paired with period photographs and illustrations.
