Synopses & Reviews
Coretta Scott King Honor Award for Illustration 2019
I couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids.
I couldn't go to their schools.
I couldn't drink from their water fountains.
There were so many things I couldn't do.
In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Frank Morrison's emotive oil-on-canvas paintings bring this historical event to life, while Monica Clark-Robinson's moving and poetic words document this remarkable time.
Review
"Much of the text will provoke questions and important conversations between children and adult readers. The experiences of segregation are sensitively depicted...A highly readable historical account." School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"A powerful retrospective glimpse at a key event." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"The art throughout is a vibrant representation of the determination and courage of the civil rights movement. A nuanced account that could inspire the youngest readers to make a big difference." Horn Book
Synopsis
Coretta Scott King Honor Award for Illustration2019 I couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids.
I couldn't go to their schools.
I couldn't drink from their water fountains.
There were so many things I couldn't do.
In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Frank Morrison's emotive oil-on-canvas paintings bring this historical event to life, while Monica Clark-Robinson's moving and poetic words document this remarkable time.
About the Author
Monica Clark-Robinson is a writer, part-time professor, and professional actor who has been writing for over fifteen years. This is her picture book debut.
Frank Morrison is the illustrator of more than twenty books, including a John Steptoe Award winner, Jazzy Miz Mozetta, and a Coretta Scott King Honor book, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone.