Baxter's Book Review

In honor of Martin Luther King day on January 18th, this month I read a non-fiction picture book: Martin and Mahalia, His Words, Her Songs by Andrea David Pinkney and Brian Pinkney. This beautifully produced book presents the interconnectivity of two crucial people within the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr and Mahalia Jackson, an influential American gospel singer, and activist. The story alternates points of view from Martin to Mahalia’s stories, with beautiful watercolor illustrations that accompany the simple, yet important and relevant text. Martin’s story manifests in shades of blues and greens, with Mahalia’s in oranges, reds, and purple. Each page offers an image of a white dove, a symbol of peace, which stands in stark contrast to the many challenges and violence the African American people experienced in their fight for equality. As Martin and Mahalia begin to work together, the colors in the pages blend, culminating in a magnificent rainbow that brings us to the conclusion of Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963. This book is as much a work of art as informational. It would be a welcome addition to any library, grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. It should be included in any discussion or reading of Martin Luther King Day as well as in conversations about the importance, and celebration of Black History Month and the many contributions of African American’s to our nation. Jamie Baxter CSLA Member, North Region Read a great book recently? Want to share it with the School Librarian Community? Please send your requests or written reviews to me at jmeabit@gmail.com.