Coretta's Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King

by Alice Faye Duncan, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)

Overview

★★★★ FOUR STARRED REVIEWS! New from the award-winning author/illustrator team behind Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop!

Who was Coretta Scott King? Her black-veiled image at the funeral of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was moving and iconic. This book introduces readers to the woman behind the veil—a girl full of spunk and pluck, bravery and grit.

“Corrie, you are a brave soldier. I don’t know what I would do without you.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Much more than just a wife, Coretta Scott King was Martin’s partner in the fight for justice. It wasn’t always easy. From an early age, she stood strong against white violence toward her family in the South, and against discrimination as a music student in the North. Coretta found her voice as a classical singer, but she struggled mightily to speak out as an activist in the face of men who thought she should be seen and not heard. But she never wavered. When Martin died, it was Coretta who carried on the struggle, and preserved his legacy so that his voice would be heard by future generations. This important story, told in poetry and prose, is a riveting introduction to an important and instrumental figure in the history of activism and civil rights.

Awards for Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop…
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year • Booklist Editors' Choice • Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book • Booklist Top 10 Diverse Books for Middle Grade or Older Readers • Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662680045
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	09/26/2023
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	632,190
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Alice Faye Duncan is the author of multiple children’s books, including Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop, which received a 2019 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor and five starred reviews, and Just Like Mama, which was nominated for the NAACP Image Award. Her most recent books include Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free, Evicted!, and Yellow Dog Blues.

R. Gregory Christie is a recipient of the Caldecott Honor, a winner of the NAACP Image award, and a six-time Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award honoree. His recent Calkins Creek books include Answering the Cry for Freedom by Gretchen Woelfle, which won the Carter G. Woodson Book Award, and Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop by Alice Faye Duncan, which received six starred reviews. He also designed the art on the US Postal Service’s 2013 Kwanzaa stamp.

Editorial Reviews

09/25/2023

Blending poetry and prose to chart the path of Coretta Scott King (1927–2006), Duncan and Christie portray a person who was formidable from her earliest years. A timeline that employs various poetic forms is interspersed with richly rendered scenes in third-person narration detailing Coretta’s childhood and adulthood. In segregated Heiberger, Ala., her birthplace, Coretta followed her mother’s advice to “get an education and try to be somebody,” becoming valedictorian of her high school, earning a college scholarship to Antioch, and studying at the New England Conservatory, where she met Martin Luther King Jr. They married and “followed a cosmic calling” to Montgomery, Ala. There, she supported his ministry and, after his assassination, lectured denouncing “racism, homophobia, poverty, and war.” Christie’s mixed-media watercolors center stylized portraiture based on key moments in the figure’s life. Ages 7–10. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

FOUR STARRED REVIEWS! ★★★★
A Horn Book Fanfare Book
Center for the Studies of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2023
 Eureka! Nonfiction Childrens’ Honor Award
A Chicago Public Library Best Book
A Bank Street Best Children's Book

"[A] stirring introduction to a woman who stood strong before and after her husband’s 1968 assassination...Alternating between poems and prose, Duncan’s text is informative as well as emotionally powerful, with a sense of cosmic destiny about Coretta’s future with Martin sprinkled throughout...Christie’s illustrations similarly range from dreamlike images to real-life documentation." —The New York Times Book Review

★ "Duncan depicts Coretta’s path through both verse and prose; the many poetic forms she employs reflect the complexities of her subject’s life, and the strong prose gives a clear picture of her determined personality. Christie’s impressionistic mixed-media watercolor illustrations are stunning, beginning with the powerful cover that immediately commands attention. Exuding emotion, each image perfectly complements the intriguing text." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Coretta Scott King gets her due recognition in this comprehensive, creative, and radiant picture book biography...Alternating between spreads of poetry and prose, the clever structure balances the delivery of both emotion and information, and the poems themselves vary significantly in form, deftly matching the tone of Coretta’s experiences at each age. Unexpected allure is added by the recurring celestial imagery related to both Coretta and Martin, which Duncan explains is based on the couple’s belief that their marriage was 'divinely appointed—beyond earthly perimeters.' Christie’s mixed media watercolor art uses a vibrant, warm color palette and is stunningly emotive in depicting the details of a storied lifetime." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

★ "In a sophisticated, poetic biography in picture-book form, Duncan alternates double-page spreads featuring prose or poems in a variety of forms that highlight Coretta Scott King's accomplishments...Duncan's reverent tone gleams thanks to an effective combination of forthright prose and eclectic poetic forms. Christie conveys the highlights of Coretta's life story in vivid and engaging watercolor renderings." —The Horn Book, starred review

★ "A marvelous tribute to the activist, singer, and wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Duncan crafts a captivating look at the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King...Duncan’s narrative emphasizes King’s strength and bravery, and how she inspired her husband to make difficult choices for the cause. The text’s musicality recall’s King’s vocalist background...Gorgeous text and resplendent illustrations present a nuanced picture book biography for all shelves." —School Library Journal, starred review

"Duncan's picture-book biography emphasizes the personal strengths and virtues that make CSK a civil rights icon in her own right, in addition to being MLK's life partner. Duncan uses a variety of poetic styles, ranging from acrostics and haiku to free verse, that walk readers chronologically through key moments in CSK’s life, while the prose passages generally provide wider historical context. Christie's mixed-media, watercolor illustrations appear on every spread, depicting cited events and individuals, conveying the emotions of those involved, and providing important setting details." —Booklist

"Blending poetry and prose to chart the path of Coretta Scott King (1927–2006), Duncan and Christie portray a person who was formidable from her earliest years." —Publishers Weekly

"Coretta's Journey eloquently blends poetry and prose to tell the life story of civil rights activist, Coretta Scott King. This powerful picture book biography is organized chronologically and includes dates to help readers place the events in history. Duncan incorporates quotes into the narrative and poems as she describes the life and accomplishments of the fearless and steady civil rights leader, mother and wife. Christie's mixed media watercolor illustrations evoke a range of emotions from joy and wonder to determination and grief. Rich back matter includes photographs, a timeline and author's note. Coretta's Journey is a recommended purchase for upper elementary and middle grade readers. Look for the title to appear on awards lists in the coming months!" —The Nonfiction Detectives

"Coretta's Journey should be read by any young person who wants to understand Coretta Scott King's essential contribution to her husband's extraordinary life and enduring legacy. Her courage and dedication were evident both before and after she met Martin. She chose to be a wife and mother but was always Coretta."—Dr. Clayborne Carson, historian and founding director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University

“Coretta’s Journey is complete with compelling prose and vivid illustrations. Alice Faye Duncan seamlessly weaves historical facts together to show that by some universal, divine source, Coretta’s marriage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. allowed them both to actualize their life callings to advance civil and human rights.” —Daphene R. McFerren, executive director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis

From the Publisher

★ 10/06/2023

Gr 2–5—A marvelous tribute to the activist, singer, and wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Duncan crafts a captivating look at the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King. Her father was the first Black man in their segregated Alabama town to own a vehicle, and the Scotts owned acres of land and several businesses. The destruction of their property multiple times and her father's fearlessness only served to inspire her journey. When she was denied a chance to teach in the white public schools, she waged a one-woman protest. Through this nuanced biography of the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," readers will learn how Coretta Scott King's passion for social justice was ingrained in her from birth. After Dr. King's assassination, she dedicated her life to ensuring that he was memorialized with a national holiday. Duncan's narrative emphasizes King's strength and bravery, and how she inspired her husband to make difficult choices for the cause. The text's musicality recalls King's vocalist background. The alternating formats, prose and a variety of poetry forms, add to the subject's treatment as a heroic figure on a fateful journey. The author's text leans heavily on metaphors connected to the cosmos and celestial objects, reflecting the Kings' belief that they were divinely appointed by God, their "cosmic partner." Christie's art is done in mixed media watercolors, and readers will wish they could physically touch the paintings. Back matter includes a time line, thorough bibliography, and an author's note. VERDICT Gorgeous text and resplendent illustrations present a nuanced picture book biography for all shelves.—Shelley M. Diaz

School Library Journal

★ 2023-06-21
Coretta Scott King’s embrace of her husband’s legacy was one of many ways she fought injustice.

Though young Coretta’s family owned land, they were not exempt from the racial injustice of 1930s and ’40s Alabama: overcrowded segregated schools; her family home and her father’s lumber mill being burned to the ground. Still, they persevered. After excelling in high school, Coretta attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. When she was denied the opportunity to do her practice teaching in the white public schools, she fought back. After college, Coretta moved to Boston to study music at the New England Conservatory, where she met Martin Luther King Jr., a doctoral student at Boston University. They married and moved to Montgomery, Alabama, and as she raised their growing family, she also supported her husband in his philosophy of nonviolent resistance and sought to speak out for international peace. When Dr. King was killed in 1968, Mrs. King intensified her efforts in support of freedom for all and pushed for a national holiday to honor his life’s work. Duncan depicts Coretta’s path through both verse and prose; the many poetic forms she employs reflect the complexities of her subject’s life, and the strong prose gives a clear picture of her determined personality. Christie’s impressionistic mixed-media watercolor illustrations are stunning, beginning with the powerful cover that immediately commands attention. Exuding emotion, each image perfectly complements the intriguing text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A beautiful pairing of words and images that highlights a remarkable life. (timeline, author’s note, bibliography, text and picture credits) (Picture-book biography. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews