Whatbettergiftcanaparentgiveachildthanavisionofafreeandjustfuture.ThisbeautifulbookistheillustratedtextofDr.MartinLutherKing,Jr'sspeechgiveninWashingtonD.C.onAugust28,1963.

　　ThetextofKing'sinspirationalspeechisillustratedby14AfricanAmericanartists/illustrators.EachillustrationisattractiveanddeftlyillustratespointsinDr.King'sspeech.Anyoftheillustrationscouldwellserveaspicturesforsomeone'swall.Everyillustrationisnoteworthyandinspirational.IlovethecoverillustrationbyLeoandDianeDillon.OtherillustrationsthatIammovedbyincludeYouHaveBeentheVeteransofCreativeSufferingbyTomFeelingsandTheTableofBrotherhoodbyJamesE.Ransome.

　　ThisbookwouldservewellforamethodtointroducechildrentoMartinLutherKing.WhetherasateacherorparentyouchoosetoreadthewholetextofthespeechordiscussKing'slifeandhisimportanceinAmericanhistory,maydependontheageofthechild.Whiletherecommendedagesforreadingare4to8,afouryearoldmaynotunderstandthemessage.Certainly,thisbookwouldserveasatoolforolderchildrenorevenadultstogettoknowKingandhismessage.

　　IthinkthateveryAmericanshouldreadthetextofDr.MartinLutherKing,Jr.'sIhaveadreamspeech.Itisasdeeplymeaningfulandpowerfultodayasitwasin1963.WhatbetterwaytopreservethememoryofMartinLutherKing'sspeechthanowningacopyofthisbookeitherforyourchildrenoryourself.Thisisatrulybeautifulbookwhichwouldbeagreatandlastingadditiontoachildren'slibrary.

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　　Don'tbefooledbythefactthatthisismarketedasachildren'sbook:"IHaveaDream"willappealtoreadersofallages.InthisbookthefulltextofMartinLutherKing'sfamousspeechisaccompaniedby14superbworks,mostoftheminfullcolor,by15differentartists.

　　ThebookcontainsathoughtfulforwardbyCorettaScottKingandabriefbutinformativebiographicalsupplementaboutDr.Kinghimself.Amagnificentblack-and-whitephotographicportraitofDr.Kinginhisoratoricalmodeservesasaneffectivecomplementtotherestofthebook'sillustrations.Alsonoteworthyarethefinalpagesofthebook,inwhichtheartistsbrieflysharetheirpersonalthoughtsaboutDr.King'slegacyandabouttheircontributionstothebook.

　　ThepowerofDr.King'sspeechisgreatlyenhancedbythebeautifulartworkofthisbook.Thepicturesencompassmanydifferentartisticstylesandtechniques.Eachoneisamasterpiecewhichinvitesthereadertoreturnandreflectuponit.

　　AsInotedatthestartoftheinterview,thisbookshouldbeenjoyedbybothadultsandchildren.Itwouldmakeawonderfulgiftforindividualsinterestedinthecivilrightsmovement,inAfrican-Americanhistory,inmulticulturalismandracialreconciliation,orincontemporaryart.Thisbookisafittingtributetooneofthe20thcentury'smostinfluentialvisionaries.