Martin's Dream Day

by Kitty Kelley, Stanley Tretick (Photographer)

Overview

Bestselling author and journalist Kitty Kelley combines her elegant storytelling with Stanley Tretick’s iconic photographs to transport readers to the 1963 March on Washington, bringing that historic day vividly to life for a new generation in this nonfiction picture book.

Martin Luther King Jr. was nervous. Standing at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, he was about to address 250,000 people with what would become known as his “I Have a Dream Speech”—the most famous speech of his life.

This day—August 28, 1963—was a momentous day in the Civil Rights Movement. It was the culmination of years spent leading marches, sit-ins, and boycotts across the South to bring attention to the plight of African Americans. Years spent demanding equality for all. Years spent dreaming of the day that black people would have the same rights as white people, and would be treated with the same dignity and respect. It was time for Martin to share his dream.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481467667
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	01/03/2017
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	11.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	970L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kitty Kelley is an internationally acclaimed writer whose bestselling biographies focus on some of the most influential and powerful personalities of the last fifty years. Kelley’s last five biographies have been #1 New York Times bestsellers. Kelley lives in Washington, DC, and you can visit her online at KittyKelleyWriter.com.

Stanley Tretick (1921–1999) was one of the preeminent photojournalists of his era. Trained as a photographer in the Marine Corps during World War II, Tretick’s first civilian job was covering Congress for United Press International. He later covered John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign and then worked for Look magazine covering President Kennedy and his family in the White House. Tretick received special credentials to cover the March on Washington, which led to the historic photos published in Martin’s Dream Day.

Editorial Reviews

10/17/2016
The author of numerous celebrity biographies, Kelley ventures into children’s books with this photographic account of the 1963 March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The mostly black-and-white photos—many of which were published for the first time in Kelley and the late Tretick’s Let Freedom Ring (2013)—include dense crowd scenes that give a strong sense of the scale of the march, as well as close-up images of a passionate King, civil rights activists, and a meeting between King and President Kennedy (whose professional and personal life Tretick famously documented). Kelley succinctly guides readers through highlights of the civil rights movement leading up to and following King’s speech, as well as the key role played by those who “responded to his call” to convene in the nation’s capital: “Farmers, fireman, policemen, secretaries, doctors, lawyers, plumbers—all came to Washington to tell Congress to pass the law that would give everyone the same rights.” Tretick’s singular photographs deliver a striking perspective on a momentous event in the ongoing quest for equality in America. Ages 5–up. Agent: Wayne Kabak, WSK Management. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"The text provides historical context and repeatedly describes the number of people who came to the Washington Mall, but the period black-and-white photos truly capture the sheer masses, from perspiring figures in suits and ties to those dangling their feet in the reflecting pond.... This is a refreshing way to look at an iconic event from American history and should have broad appeal."

November 2016 Booklist

12/01/2016
K-Gr 3—This photographic journey chronicles the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Tretick's photos, many of which were taken during the actual march, are a display of the expression and energy of the event and the people who attended. Kelley briefly uses the first half of the work to place King, the civil rights movement, and the steps leading up to the day (including President John F. Kennedy's involvement and Congress's resistance) into context. Then comes a retelling of the rally (Camilla Williams's singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner," King's impromptu decision to set aside his prepared speech, etc.). The emphasis on how long King had to work to come to this pivotal moment ("He had traveled 275,000 miles that year and given 350 speeches") will aid students in understanding the breadth of the civil rights movement. VERDICT A powerful addition to school libraries for read-alouds and discussions on U.S. history and the civil rights movement.—April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

School Library Journal

2016-10-11
Celebrity biographer Kelley offers an account of the 1963 March on Washington, paired to the images of acclaimed photojournalist Tretick.This was a critically important event in the civil right movement, but the book fails to capture its energy and significance. The narrative seesaws between florid ("Martin did not give up. He blew the trumpet of hope") and dull ("It was the largest assembly ever gathered at the feet of Lincoln, and the gathering was joyful"), resulting in an informative but not particularly inspiring read. In an afterword, Kelley explains her impetus for writing the book was "to share the photographs of my friend Stanley Tretick…, so children can see not simply illustrations, but real-life images from the March on Washington." Tretick's images are indeed arresting, but the unimaginative, cluttered arrangements of the uncaptioned photographs make the book look more like a scrapbook than a historical chronicle of a landmark event. Descriptions of some photos are appended, but young readers will not know to look there. There are no source notes or bibliography, but a few websites are cited for those seeking further information. This subject is more engagingly and insightfully addressed in numerous other age-appropriate books. A bland, undistinguished photo essay of a milestone event in American history. (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews