Author: Arthur Flowers
Website: http://aalbc.com/authors/arthurflowers.htm
Illustrator: Manu Chitrakar
Website: No illustrator website
Design By: Guglielmo Rossi
Website: http://guglielmorossi.com/
Media Used: Painted using traditional Bengali scroll art
Summary: Oral storytelling meets traditional Bengali scroll art to create this graphic novel which tells about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. - the Baptist preacher, Nobel Peace Prize winner, African American civil rights leader - who was assassinated in 1968.
Personal Reaction: Since the text was created by a blues singer who is also a master oral storyteller, I really shouldn't be surprised that the text in this book was so wonderfully put together. The rhythm of the words draw the reader in with its distinct beat. You can see Flowers perform excerpts of the book here. At first I thought that the different font sizes and scattered text would interrupt the flow of my reading, but it had the opposite effect. The way the text was laid out on the page enhances the rhythm of the story. The 2 page spreads with large white text on a black background make you sit up and take notice of the direct quotes from King. The artwork is wonderfully done, helping to drive the story forward, and depicting scenes the struggles of the time. A wonderfully book that is an easy edition to any classroom or school library.
Use of Rhythm: The entire book is set to a particular rhythm making it a good choice for reading aloud.
Curricular Connection: 7th to 12th grade - Civil Rights History & the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
Lesson Plan (under construction): talk about the civil rights movement.
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