I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Description

I'm tired of violence. And I'm not going to let my oppressor dictate to me what method I must use. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most important civil rights leaders of the 20th century. His crusade for nonviolent social justice inspired millions of African Americans to seek equality through peaceful protests during one of the United States' most turbulent times. Set against key moments in the civil rights movement, this compelling narrative for picture-book readers tells the story of King's tireless, lifelong pursuit for racial equality. Walter Dean Myers's moving text and Leonard Jenkins's powerful paintings celebrate King and his dream.

Michael L. Printz Award winner and Margaret A. Edwards Award recipient Walter Dean Myers is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. He is the author of Handbook for Boys; Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam; Monster; Bad Boy: A Memoir; and the Newbery Honor Books, Scorpions and Somewhere in the Darkness. He lives in Jersey City, NJ, with his family. You can visit Walter Dean Myers online at www.walterdeanmyersbooks.com.

"Leonard Jenkins's paintings are both novel and striking." -- Washington Post "In a clear and cogent manner, Myers frames King's political efforts and his belief in nonviolent demonstration for change with information about the personal consequences to the man and his family. Jenkins's stunning collage artwork dramatically reflects the events described in the narrative. This book makes an excellent starting point to introduce young readers to King." -- School Library Journal "Jenkins's artwork is potent and explosive, freely melding finely drafted faces with almost photorealistic features, broad swaths of thickly applied media, hasty swirls of streetwise graffiti, superheated colors bursting from shadows, and Biblical imagery befitting a man of the cloth. Do you really need yet another biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? When it's this one, yes, you do." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "The focus here is on his public image, and words and art combine the essentials of his life story with an overview of the civil rights movement. Jenkins' dramatic, double-page collage illustrations set close-up portraits of the leader against crowd scenes of political marches and violent conflict. Then, after the glory of the March on Washington, there's a double-page spread showing the horror of the Birmingham deaths. The book ends with King's assassination, but words and pictures show his strength and his enduring message against racism and for peace." -- Booklist