Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr.

by Jean Marzollo

Book Overview

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Category: BiographyThis book is a beautifully-rendered study of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, told in simple, straightforward language for even the youngest of readers to understand. Pinkney's scratchboard and oil pastel illustrations convey both the strength...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439782244
• ISBN13: 9780439782241
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 7.9" x 9.8"
• Age Range: 3 to 5 years

Customer Reviews

Short, sweet, and to the point

This book is easy for little ones to follow, and it gives a lot of good information. It’s a great one to read during the month of January.

A review by Isaiah, Mrs. Bhola's second grade

If you think black folks should be nice to white folks and white folks should be nice to black folks you would like Happy Birthday Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo. It's about how he made the city be nice to black people. He was a pastor. My favorite was when he died and had a funeral. My favorite part was when he died and had a funeral. Check it out at your library today.

An effective picture book on an important American leader

"Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King" fills a need for effective picture books for young readers about this important American leader. The scratchboard illustrations, although unusual for this format, create a vibrancy that enhances the text.This narrative revolves around the statement: "The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., is famous because he helped our country change some of its laws." Then in simple language it goes on to explain some of the laws he helped change.It goes on to say, "Poor people, rich people, white people, black people, and people from all around the world listened when Martin Luther King spoke." Of course, there is mention of his 1963 speech in Washington, D.C., where his "dream was that people everywhere would learn to live together without being mean to one another."This is an excellent book to read aloud to younger students, although as a school librarian, I have seen it used effectively up to the 5th grade (like another reviewer here). Another good title that covers some of the same territory for young readers is "A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.," by David A. Adler.

This is a very good book about a very good man.

I am a fifth grader at North Hills Traditional Academy.I like this book because it tells how Martin Luther King grew up. And it was sweet how he grew up.I like the book because the pictures are colorful and the story is sweet.The thing I really like about the book is that it tells sweet things about his personal life, not just his public life.Mostly, I really like it because it tells how he grew up and about his friendship with a little white boy. It's really clever because it shows what Martin Luther King was like when he was young.It's a great book. I think you should read it. And I know that you will enjoy it.

A gentle tribute to a giant.

As an elementary school librarian I liked this book because it can be read and appreciated by children from first grade to fifth grade. It has a simple, gentle approach to Dr. King's life from his birth to his death. The students love the "scratchboard" method that the illustrator used for the beautiful artwork. Jeanne Feeney