Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Be A King) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 
Are you studying the story of Martin Luther King Jr.? If so, I have a picture book for you to stimulate the minds and hearts of young people to follow in his footsteps. With full-colour illustrations and poetic text, discover key moments in his life. Be inspired to stand up for what is right!
The Basic Details about “Be a King”
You’ll find Be a king: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Deam and You to be a full-colour illustrated picture book of 40 pages. It is written with 4-8 year olds in mind, but I think you easily use it with older children to spawn good conversation. It is not written so much to be a history book, but more to promote Mr. King’s ideology about a world of equal rights. Racial and prejudice themes are very much part of this book written by Carole Boston Weatherford. The illustrations frequently feature Mr. King’s profile as well as people of a variety of races, religions, and genders. Published by Bloomsbury USA Children’s it comes in hardcover, paperback and on kindle.
I am reviewing a softcover version on behalf of Raincoast Books.
Learning the Specifics
Be A King seeks to draw us into the mindset of Martin Luther King Jr. It does this by repeating “you can be a king” on every page. Three lines of focused text encouraging the reader to stand up to bullies, be helpful and kind, dream big, answer your critics, stamp out hatred and stand for justice among others.
Illustrations frequently show what you shouldn’t have happen, or what you shouldn’t let stand in your way of doing what is good and right. Some of these pages are in full colour. Other pages use white space to show progression in action.
You will find children of different races, religions, genders and abilities featured throughout, with some pages with adults only. One page featured an empty bus which I think gives teachers an opportunity to speak about Rosa Parks and her stand. So many conversation starters to be found within 40 pages.
So what did I think?
A bit of a mixed review today.
There was much I liked. I liked the cross-section of race and gender included on almost every page. It was great to see the inclusivity and the encouraging attitude for being helpful and kind. The continuing refrain “You Can be a King” as an incentive to be more than what you are pushing us to follow a good leader. Seeing illustrations demonstrating ways to be better is fantastic and provides excellent talking points with children.
What I disliked… messages that seemed unconnected. Like protest signs saying “Shop Local”, what does that have to do with equal rights or Martin Luther King Jr? I also found myself querying, just what is meant by the “equal rights for all” message and wanted to know more. Equal rights for all, doesn’t always mean what you think it does, and how do you start the conversation if you don’t really know what the author is meaning? I also strongly disliked the “follow your own conscience” message. That’s not a good way to indicate good motives or ideals if you don’t have a solid standing. Just rubs me the wrong way. I just wanted something more in-depth I guess. Particularly if it proposes to be about Martin Luther King Jr. Most of this picturebook could have been about any activist in the equal rights community.
A firm appreciation for the author’s note at the close of the book providing more depth to this picture book. It’s good to know more details about Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. It gave some needed information that was lacking elsewhere.
Black history is part of our history and we should want to learn more about it. Use this book to start conversations with your students today!
Seems like one I would personally steer away from. The disconnected messages is enough for me to avoid it but also, this sort of thing is what should be dealt with in a different way. This is too intense to have 40 pages of direct commands aimed at children that young. It will be overwhelming. I know my children would not react well to a book like this.
I don’t think I would want to read it all at once to a child, but if I were doing a unit on King, then grabbing up some of the Be A King ideas would generate interesting discussion I think.