I Have A Dream

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-8. Every year when Dr. King's birthday rolls around and during Black History month, short clips from the "I Have a Dream" speech are played and replayed--always the same few sentences presented together with grainy black-and-white images. This new book, which beautifully evokes feelings of hope as well as despair, not only gives readers the opportunity to experience the eloquent speech in its entirety but also to see it anew through the eyes of 15 African American artists who have won the Coretta Scott King Award or received a Coretta Scott King honor book designation. Each artist depicts a portion of the story of the civil rights movement or his or her vision of the meaning of a section of the speech, thus bringing new perspective to Dr. King's words. On the jacket painting, by Leo and Diane Dillon, Dr. King, who is looking toward the sun, stands next to figures holding scales and a gavel, representing equality and justice; King's words about suffering and police brutality are illustrated by Tom Feelings' depiction of a woman covering her eyes in sorrow; and James Ransome shows African Americans and whites together at a long picnic table, the "table of brotherhood." A foreword by Coretta Scott King, a brief biography of Dr. King, and notes from the artists about their contributions round out the book, which clearly reminds us why the rolling, powerful text remains one of the landmarks of American political writing. Susan Dove Lempke

Product Description

From School Library Journal

K Up. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s classic speech is creatively illustrated by 15 Coretta Scott King Award-winning artists. Signed statements from the artists explain the emotions they were tying to capture and why and how they used certain colors and tones. The size and medium of the original art are given. This book evokes the sound of King's voice as it was captured on that historic August day in 1963. Although some pictures are more touching and sobering than others, from cover to cover this is a beautiful book. A foreword by Coretta Scott King is included. A biographical sketch, preceded by a black-and-white photograph, highlights critical events in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life.?Marie Wright, University Library, Indianapolis, IN
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A handsome edition in which 15 illustrators, Coretta Scott King's foreword, and an appended two-page biography of Martin Luther King Jr. create a unique context for his famous speech of 1963. It is as timely today as it was in the 1960s, and the artists have done the words justice: The astonishing courage required to remain nonviolent appears in George Ford's art for ``Meeting Physical Force with Soul Force,'' while James Ransome provides an idealized, yet attainable banquet for ``The Table of Brotherhood.'' Among the other artists are Jerry Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, Leo and Diane Dillon, Tom Feelings, and Pat Cummings. Adults who heard the speech will experience it anew; children who didn't will be able to place the words in a historical framework. (Nonfiction. 8-11) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.