Sharing the Dream
This inspiring picture book tells the story of “The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” which took place on August 28, 1963, and may be the most important civil rights demonstration in US history. Alongside charming vintage-style illustrations, it offers a child’s subjective perspective on attending the protest, including personal details of riding to Washington on a bus with her parents, and her excitement of the different well-known speakers, especially Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. It is a wonderful retelling of this turning point in American history, including one of the finest speeches ever. I teach college courses on writing, where I include Dr. King’s speech as an example of two or three greatest of American writings. I’m delighted to be able to offer a children’s version of this important moment to my own children.

Space for Everyone 

My family made a few moves when I was young, including during times that were far from ideal. My unanswered questions and unaddressed fears stayed with me for years. That’s one reason why I appreciate the chance to share this truly heartwarming book with my own children, with whom we’ve had to move many times of our own. The colorful book tells of a Nigerian American family with many family friendships and community connections, where it is common for them to gather around their large kitchen table. The loving parents reassure the narrator that their home will be wherever they live, love, and gather together. Now that my own family is well settled permanently, I hope that this book helps reassure my own children that wherever we and our love is found, there is our family and our home.

Prince Among Slaves
This carefully written and engaging biography, filled with picturesque illustrations, tells the remarkable story of Abdulrahman, a well-educated African prince captured, enslaved, and brought to work in Mississippi in 1788. His master gave him the new name, “Prince,” due to his claims about his background. Abdulrahman, a devout Muslim, helps his master’s plantation thrive in a story filled with faith (not dissimilar to the story of Joseph of Egypt). The story explains the sorrows of slavery with enough clarity to make things clear to children, without diving too deeply into many of its horrors. Historically, Abdulrahman became the most famous freed slave, advocating for his family and friends once freed. Through the president’s intervention, and support of many others, he is eventually able/forced to return to Africa. The bittersweet story explains how he fails to actually make it back to his original home. It is a moving story of a remarkable figure placed in humiliating circumstances who, through his diligence and faith, becomes a symbol of strength and wisdom, illustrating the evils of slavery in a way all of us can learn from.