The husband-and-wife team behind Sit-In and Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America charts the convergent paths of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson in this triumphant tale of friendship and talent.
Andrea David Pinkney emphasizes that both Martin and Mahalia grew up in a gospel tradition: he as an orator, and she as a singer. The author urges young readers on in a cadence that evokes the gospel, spoken and sung ("You are here./ Let the map lead the way./ Let the dove fly ahead./ On the path./ To the dream./ To the words./ And the songs"). The dove--a symbol of peace, so crucial to Dr. King's non-violent protests--appears in every one of Brian Pinkney's illustrations. The text alternates between a young Martin and a young Mahalia; the artwork portrays Martin against a backdrop of blues and lime greens, while Mahalia comes to life in a sea of rose and tangerine hues. When the two meet up in a vertical spread, their palettes mix, creating a swirl of purple.
On each spread, commanding words stand out in colorful, all-capital letters, the artist often incorporates into the composition. The book builds to a climax at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, on August 28, 1963. Brian Pinkney's artwork, in a majestic vertical spread, shows the magnitude of the crowd gathered on the Washington Mall on that great day. Endnotes, a timeline and further reading wrap up this story of a friendship between two inspirational leaders. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness