Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

ThisCaldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Honor, and New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through his own words.

Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most influential and gifted speakers of all time. Doreen Rappaport uses quotes from some of his most beloved speeches to tell the story of his life and his work in a simple, direct way. Bryan Collier’s stunning collage art combines remarkable watercolor paintings with vibrant patterns and textures. A timeline and a list of additional books and websites help make this a standout biography of Dr. King.

Doreen Rappaport’s nonfiction and historical fiction books have been acclaimed for their meticulous research and varied literary styles. She is the recipient of the Washington Post?Children’s Book Guild lifetime achievement award for the writing of nonfiction. Among her many award-winning biographies are Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, a Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, and a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award winner; and Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, the Library of Virginia’s Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award winner, a CCBC Best Book of the Year, and an IRA Teachers’ Choice. Doreen lives in upstate New York. Visit her at www.doreenrappaport.com.

Bryan Collier is an American writer and illustrator known best for illustrating children’s books. He won both the Coretta Scott King Award, as illustrator, and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award for UPTOWN, the first book he both wrote and illustrated. He has won six King Awards as illustrator and he is a four-time Caldecott honor recipient. For his lifetime contribution as a children’s illustrator, Collier is U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2014.