Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King

Last year it was difficult to find an age appropriate book for Ivy on black rights. This year we have a winner, a simple tale with beautifully etched pictures by Jean Marzollo and J. Brian Pinkney. Ivy is quite interested in the life of this celebrated American hero. She seems fascinated that you needed a different school/water fountain if you were black. It has prompted a lot of conversations about race over the past week. She wants to read it every night before bed! The treatment of his assassination is age appropriate; it simply says he was shot and killed.

 While reading this book, Ivy asked about the words on his gravestone, "Free at last, free at last, God Almighty free at last!" We decided to buy her I Have A Dream, a book containing King's original speech and a recording of it. We have not yet made it through - hoping to do this during the next few weekends. Nelson's paintings are just beautiful.