Month: September 2020

Let the Children March

/ Sara Gentry

Let the Children March tells the story of the Children’s March that took place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. Under the direction of Dr. King, citizens gathered to construct a plan that would combat racially unjust Jim Crows laws. The trouble was that many adults feared they would lose their jobs if they participated in demonstrations. Their children volunteered to march in their place, and Let the Children March portrays their stories.

Here are three things I like about this book:

  • This book is inspiring for young people. Our society often diminishes what kids can do, and this book shows them the power they have and how they can indeed make their voices heard.
  • Author Monica Clark-Robinson chose to write this story in the first-person perspective of one of the marchers, which makes the account feel that much closer.
  • As one would expect, Frank Morrison’s illustrations are truly gorgeous. I also appreciate the unique angles he uses to recreate scenes that were captured in photographs.

Let the Children March does a fabulous job of being educational without being didactic or bland. It reads like a story while shining a spotlight on our nation’s troubled history. I recommend this book for ages 6-10.

Kitchen Dance

/ Sara Gentry 
Side by side with stacked plates they glide.
My father twirls my mother by one hand.
Laughing, she spins into his arms,
then out again, like a yo-yo on a string.

And so two children spy on their parents as an evening kitchen clean-up turns into a celebration of love and family. Maurie J. Manning has created a beautiful testimony to family love in her lyrical and exuberant Kitchen Dance.

Here are three things I like about this book:

  • The story is a beautiful glimpse of an ordinary moment, made extraordinary. Love oozes from the pages – between husband and wife, parents and children.
  • Manning’s artwork is glorious – full of color and color. In particular, I love the facial expressions on every page.
  • Though not a rhyming text, Manning’s writing is rhythmic. Readers will feel like they are swaying to the music and part of the dance.

Kitchen Dance is a beautiful family read-aloud, particularly for children ages 3-7. It would be a wonderful choice for a bedtime read.