Independent reading level: 5-8 years old
Awards: n/a ( )

I used this as a read-aloud with second graders.
They were interested in discussing the book as we went along. I used Epic! books and presented to the class and to my remote students using my SMARTboard and Google Meeting, so the remote students would also see the book clearly. Epic! provides a read-along option and interactive quiz. Students then wrote book reviews. Most students gave the book 4 or 5 stars. ( )

Brief text followed by brief timeline.

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 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. ( )

It is an easy read for students. Talk about his life and talks about the history during that time period. It is easy for students to understand civial rights movement. ( )