We March

Many young children know there was a march on Washington a long time ago and that Martin Luther King Jr. gave a famous speech that day. Some know why the march took place; fewer still know how it happened. Using a minimalist text (no more than ten words per page) as he employed in Underground, Evans covers the last two points.

Share with readers of all ages as a beautiful message about peaceful protest and purposeful action. 

This makes a pivotal event in our nation's history accessible to our youngest citizens without compromising any of its power.

Written in the same spare style as Evanss Underground, this account of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom identified only in a concluding note drives home the emotion and the drama of that event. Brief, blunt sentences propel the narrative and place readers on the scene: We follow our leaders. We walk together. We sing. Evans spotlights a family of four, first pictured rising with the sun and creating placards with their church congregation. Buses bring them to the Washington Monument, where they join others in the march that culminates in Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream speech. Though the day unfolds through the familys perspective, what emerges is a communal voice that conveys a strong sense of solidarity and purpose (We lean on each other as we march to justice, to freedom, to our dreams). Similarly minimalist, Evanss art features angular characters whose expressions capture their passion and commitment. Evanss predominantly cool palette is warmed by the diffuse light of the sun, which appears in full blaze behind a closeup image of King. A moving introduction to a historic day. Ages 4 8. Agent: Writers House. (Jan.) Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 3--It is the remarkable simplicity of this book that makes it so outstanding. The members of an African-American family rise and set off to church to pray and then take part in a march for freedom. But this is not just any march; it is the historic March on Washington in 1963. Readers follow this family as Evans's palette shifts from morning grays and blues to lighter and more hopeful hues of yellow and bright green as Dr. King delivers his magnificent "I Have a Dream" speech. The contrast between the conciseness of the writing and the grandness of the story gives the book a powerful punch. Young readers will now have a book celebrating the March on Washington that they can read, while older readers will be drawn to the beauty of this well-told and superbly rendered book. A must for every collection.--Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.