“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
martin luther king, jr. Day
My daughter is two. She’s too young to understand the complexities of the civil rights movement. I don’t want to expose her to some of the darker parts of history until she is old enough to understand them. However, it is never too early to teach about kindness and acceptance and inclusion. So for Martin Luther King, Jr Day I wanted to focus on celebrating the positive changes he inspired and the journey our country has taken. I am Brave: A Little Book about Martin Luther King, Jr. is a great introduction to the civil rights movement for very young children.
ordinary people change the world
This book is part of the Ordinary People Change the World book series. The series is about different people from history that changed the world by doing great things. Some of the figures written about include Gandhi, Marie Curie, and Harriet Tubman.
Best-selling author Brad Meltzer came up with the idea for the series because he wanted to find better hero figures for his children. He wanted someone they could look up to for a notable achievement or accomplishment, instead of someone who was just famous for being famous. What a great idea! Check out my review of all the Ordinary People books here!
i am brave: a little book about martin luther king, jr.
I am Brave is about Martin Luther King, Jr. and shares his basic message of kindness and acceptance. There are several scenes pictured from his life such as him preaching to a packed church, and his iconic Dream speech in Washington. The book is short and simple, and just the right length for little minds to grasp. This book is aimed at children ages 2-5. There is a version for older kids ages 5-8 called I am Martin Luther King, Jr.
Most of the Ordinary People books are books geared towards children in the 5-8 age range. However, a handful are shortened into board books and abridged to make them more understandable for young’uns.
Fun fact for the grownups, did you know that at the time, MLK Jr was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize? He was 35 years old. (That designation has since been overtaken by several other recipients, most recently being Malala Yousafzai who won it at the age of 17.)
words of wisdom
“Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
It’s funny how easily we forget these words of wisdom. So many great people have come before us, and then their memories fade away and we forget why they were great. I’m sure we talked about MLK Jr day in elementary school, but once you grow up it’s easy to forget. Everyone knows MLK Jr’s name, but as an adult, this day is more about getting the day off work than it is about remembering his legacy.
I enjoy reading I am Brave with my daughter. Not only because it shares a great message with her, but because it reminds me of why we celebrate this day, and to remember the wisdom of people from the past.