Martin Luther King Day is a chance to teach your children about the civil rights movement and America’s continued battles with racism. Have the day off? Pick up one of these books from your library (or buy it from a local shop) and take a few minutes to read it. Here are 10 of my favorite picture books for Martin Luther King Day.
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier. It can be really hard to get kids to pay attention with picture book biographies, especially for a larger-than-life person like Martin Luther King. I like this book because the text is simple and clear. The illustrations are heartfelt but don’t distract from the message. Even little kids will listen to this and understand Martin Luther King’s life and passion and why we should continue to learn about him.
Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito and Laura Freeman. A restaurant cook in Alabama organized a group of women to cook and bake and raise money to help those participating in the bus boycott. Martin Luther King later trusted her enough to hold civil rights meetings at her home. We hear many stories about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King (and rightly so). However, this focuses on other people who made a big difference in their communities.
We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song by Debbie Levy and Vanessa Brantley-Netwon. I think music is a powerful teaching tool, and this book is all about where the song “We Shall Overcome” came from and how it continues to inspire people to fight racism and inequality. I especially love the illustrations in this book. Keep in mind that the book ends with President Obama’s inauguration (it was published in 2013). You may need to explain that we still fight for equal rights today.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney. WOW. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It tells the true story of the college students who sat peacefully at a “whites only” section of a North Carolina Woolworth’s and waited to be served lunch. Their courage continued the civil rights movement and spurred many other people across the country to sit in restaurants and protest. This is a great book for teaching your kids about doing the right thing even if it seems small.
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni and Bryan Collier. I have read my kids several books about Rosa Parks, but I like this one best. It explains what happened when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, but it also gives more of a biography and explains what led up to her decision. Bryan Collier’s illustrations are also stunning.
Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome. In this story, a black family flees oppression in the South by boarding a train to New York City in the 1930s. It’s lyrically written, with the little girl noticing stops along the way and reading Fredrick Douglass’ book about his pursuit of freedom. The Great Migration is glossed over in history books (I didn’t know much about it). This is an important book that explains it well.
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison. I love this little book that features important black women SO much. Vashti Harrison is an amazing illustrator, but she’s also a wonderful writer and packed so much into these bios. I learned so much from this book and want to get her Exceptional Men book, too. Just a warning that it’s best to look at this book over a few days. Your kids probably won’t sit still for 40 bios.
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson. This won the Caldecott medal in 2020 for good reason. It’s a poem all about powerful African-Americans in history with gorgeous illustrations to match. I liked that this became a jumping off point to talk to my kids about racism in America.
We March by Shane W. Evans. All about the 1963 march in Washington, D.C., where Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech, this book is about a family’s experience during that time. I love the diversity in the illustrations and the simple text that makes you wish you could have been at the march yourself.
Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome. This lyrical biography of Harriet Tubman focuses on her different names and roles throughout her life, including “Minty” as a slave, “General Tubman” as a Union spy, and “Moses” when leading other slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. The illustrations make this book even more beautiful.
Share your favorite picture books for Martin Luther King Day with me! I’d love more ideas, including civil rights and Black History month picks.
Want more? Check out 10 books about white privilege and racism.
