If You're Going to a March

by Martha Freeman, Violet Kim (Illustrator)

Overview

“If you’re going to a march, you’re going to want a sign”—and this inspiring handbook, which introduces children to the world of action and activism.
 
As more and more children attend the growing number of marches across the country, this cheerful guide serves as a great reference tool and conversation starter for youthful participants. Inspired by author Martha Freeman’s own experiences, this picture book addresses many of the questions kids might have:

What should I wear?
How will I get there?
Where will I be able to go to the bathroom?
Is it okay to dance? (Yes, it is!)

All the while the text stays focused on the fact that the right to assemble is a Constitutional part of our life as Americans . . . whatever our political point of view.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454929932
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 12 Years

About the Author

Martha Freeman has been marching since she was in middle school. Her 30 children’s books include Mrs. Wow Never Wanted a Cow, Zap!, and Effie Starr Zook Has One More Question. She has three children and lives in Philadelphia.

Violet (Jung Ah) Kim received a BFA degree in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and is the illustrator of Earth Day, Birthday! (Two Lions) and The Little Gray Bunny (Charlesbridge). She lives in Seoul, South Korea.

Editorial Reviews

A bright, positive, and child-friendly description of how to participate in a protest and/or march. Freeman takes readers through the experience and offers practical advice for making signs, being comfortable for the long haul, striking up conversations, and finding one’s own voice. This book can be read before, during, and after an important discussion about the hows and whys of civic engagement. The author includes an afterword that simply but potently describes our democracy and history of protests. VERDICT A befitting and timely addition that belongs in any collection, large or small.” —School Library Journal online

From the Publisher

2018-05-14
Children are playing active parts in today's demonstrations, marching and holding signs—or sleeping soundly in their carriages.This picture-book manual provides friendly instructions on attending marches, many of which (but not all) have become peaceful, intergenerational outings. The afterword mentions issue-based protests (for women's suffrage, civil rights, marriage equality, and others) that have sometimes led to violent outcomes, but there are no references to the possibility of aggression or arrest. Despite this idealization, the book's message will speak to families involved in contemporary demonstrations concerning today's issues: women's rights, equality for immigrants and other identity groups, peace, and the environment. (There is no mention of gun control.) Four families, one white, one brown-skinned, one Asian, and one interracial family with two dads, are featured in the cheerful, naïve illustrations, which follow the kids as they create signs at home, travel to the march, listen to the speakers ("it's possible this part will get boring"), and march. Practical advice includes "know your address and phone number." There's a double-page spread with smiling police officers of different skin tones and genders "to keep people safe"—an assertion that many in minority communities may not find particularly credible or reassuring.Although the signs and chants may speak mostly to "blue" families and hard truths are elided, this introduction tries hard to present a neutral point of view, encouraging everyone to participate in appropriate political action. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews