My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By Tracy Moore,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Powerful, personal view of cvil rights leader, issues.
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What's the Story?
Most of us know the story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s fearless fight for racial equality and tragic death. But few of us know the story through the eyes of his oldest son, Martin Luther King III, as a child. Here, we see King as a warm and loving father and polarizing figure, how his activism affected his family and confused his children, the sacrifices they and other civil rights activists made to support a cause so essential to American values, and the impact of King's death on his son.
Is It Any Good?
Parents who want to instill the notion of equality and social activism in their children will find a great resource in MY DADDY, MARTIIN LUTHER KING JR.. It can launch many discussions about the lives lost to promote racial equality in this country. The book does an excellent job of explaining plainly, in kid-friendly terms, the everyday experiences of black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s who simply asked to be treated as equals -- and as humans. The warm, full-color acrylic-and-oil paintings highlight a close, loving family and illuminate a distant subject for many kids today, making it accessible and relatable.
For kids interested in history, it's a perfect primer on an important era, and for parents, it's a great bridge to discussions (depending on age) of how far King and other activists pushed equality in this country, the personal toll it took, and how far we still have to go.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about equality. What are some ways people are different? What are some ways they are the same? What does it mean to treat people equally?
How does the art in My Daddy, Martin Luther King Jr. help tell the story from the boy's point of view?
Have you ever felt different from your friends? In what way? What can we do to make someone who's different from us feel accepted?
Book Details
- Author: Martin Luther King III
- Illustrator: AG Ford
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Activism , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Amistad
- Publication date: August 6, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: January 17, 2023
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