A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein, Jerry Pinkney
Published by Neal Porter Books on August 27th 2019
ISBN: 0823443310
Pages: 48
Goodreads

Barry Wittenstein and Jerry Pinkney  has given the reader the story behind Martin Luther King’s  “I Have a Dream” speech in both a conversational  text and classic Pinkney illustrations of watercolor, color pencil and graphite. King was once asked what was the hardest part of writing a speech. His reply was “knowing where to end.” “It’s terrible to be circling up there without a place to land.”  The night before the 1963 March on Washington, King and men he looked to for guidance met to write what would become his greatest sermon ever. The reader meets his inner circle and is invited into that hotel room as these men strategized. Wittenstein’s text is more a conversation and the reader feels like part of the group. Pinkney’s illustrations are large and expressive and take the reader through the night and onto the National Mall. This is a must for all collections  as it gives insight into how one of the greatest speech’s for freedom was written. There is a note from the artist ,short biographies of the men involved nd her voices , who spoke at the March and sources used to write this book.This is not only a visually inspiring book but sheds light into a piece of the Civil Rights Movement. Use in units about the Civil Right movement, Martin Luther King, and American History. Best for grades 4 and up.

Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray Maine.