Doreen Rappaport

A picture-book biography introduces the ideas and accomplishments of a gifted and influential speaker by using some of his own words to tell the story. A Caldecott Honor Book & Coretta Scott King Honor Book. Reprint.

This picture-book biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world's most influential leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Doreen Rappaport weaves the immortal words of Dr. King into a captivating narrative to tell the story of his life. With stunning art by acclaimed illustrator Bryan Collier, "Martin's Big Words" is an unforgettable portrait of a man whose dream changed America-and the world-forever.

True stories and traditional songs shed light on a lesser known era in African-American history -- the crucial decades between Emancipation and the start of the Civil Rights movement. In the dark of night, a mother risks her life to search for her four children, stolen by her former master. A wife refuses to hand her husband over to an angry white-hooded mob, despite the wailing of her babies -- and the foot stomping on her pregnant belly. A woman calmly takes her seat in a first-class coach and is ordered to leave: "I'm a lady. All ladies sit here," argues journalist Ida B. Wells before she is carried from the car, seat and all. These are some of the vignettes presented in Free at Last , interwoven with spirituals, work songs, blues lyrics, poems, and a compelling narrative recounting the experience of black Americans in the South from the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 through the dawn of the Civil Rights era in 1954. Drawing from true accounts, Doreen Rappaport writes of hopes for equality dashed by new "legal" injustices, and of a climate of fear and uncertainty fueled by intimidation, lynchings, and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. But she tells also of the courageous struggle to re-create family and community life, achieve economic independence, explore creative expression, and eventually mount a successful legal challenge against segregation. Masterfully matched by Shane W. Evans's bold, emotion-filled paintings, this is an invaluable resource for teachers, parents, librarians, students, and everyone else who values what it means to be truly free. Back matter includes a list of important dates, an artist's note, sources, resources for further information, and an index. An International Reading Association Teachers' Choice A Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice A Chicago Public Library Best Book

True vignettes and traditional verse, set against starkly powerful images, tell the story of enslaved Africans in America as it has never been told before. A man who cannot swim leaps off a slave ship into the dark water. A girl defies the law by secretly learning to read and write. A future abolitionist regains his will to live by fighting off his captor with his bare hands: "I will not let you use me like a brute any longer," Frederick Douglass vows. Drawing from authentic accounts, here is a chronology of resistance in all its forms: comical trickster tales about outwitting "Old Marsa"; secret "hush harbors" where Africans instill Christian worship with their own rituals; and spirituals such as "Go Down Moses," whose coded lyrics signal not just hope for deliverance, but an active call to escape. Boldly illustrated with extraordinary oil paintings by award-winning artist Shane W. Evans, and meticulously researched by Doreen Rappaport, this stunning collection -- spanning the period from the early days of slavery to the Emancipation Proclamation -- is an invaluable resource for teachers, parents, libraries, students, and people everywhere who care about what it means to be free, what it is to be human. Back matter includes important dates, a bibliography, resources for further information, and an index.

This picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young readers through his own words, using quotes from some of his most beloved speeches to tell his life story in a simple, direct way. Full color.

Freedom Eliza and her baby, running across the ice. Selena and Cornelia Jackson, masquerading as boys. Henry Box Brown, shipping himself north in a wooden crate. Jane Johnson, risking everything to testify against her former owner in court. Ellen Craft, posing as her husband's owner. Escaping from slavery against overwhelming odds, these people were helped by courage, ingenuity, and the informal network known as the Underground Railroad. Here are their gripping stories, told by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Charles Lilly, and accompanied by information about slave laws of the era, key Underground Railroad leaders, and a bibliography.