Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank

by Nancy Churnin, Yevgenia Nayberg (Illustrator)

Overview

Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr. were born the same year a world apart. Both faced ugly prejudices and violence, which both answered with words of love and faith in humanity. This is the story of their parallel journeys to find hope in darkness and to follow their dreams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781954354029
Publisher:	Creston Books
Publication date:	03/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	9 - 10 Years

About the Author

Nancy Churnin is the author of many children's books, including Martin & Anne, Sydney Taylor Notable Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing, and the Sydney Taylor Honor Book Dear Mr. Dickens. She is a full-time writer living in Texas.
Yevgenia Nayberg is an illustrator, painter, and set and costume designer. She received a Sydney Taylor Silver Medal for her illustrations for Drop by Drop. She lives in New York.

Editorial Reviews

03/25/2019

Churnin (Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing) adds to her repertoire of biographies for children with this side-by-side comparison of Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank. Both born in 1929, though an ocean apart, each endured discrimination and, eventually, death because of who they were. A straightforward narrative points out that, while they never met, the contemporaries were connected by shared experiences: being shunned by their peers as children; experiencing injustices small and large (“Everywhere Martin went, he saw signs that said, ‘Whites Only’... Every day, more signs blared, ‘No Jews Allowed’ ”); and finally finding power in words and self-expression. Stylized illustrations by Nayberg (Anya’s Secret Society) initially employ a muted color palette of tawny, brooding hues, while ending spreads in brighter greens and blues strike a hopeful note. As the teenage diarist and civil rights leader stand together, the timeless, powerful themes they heralded form the conclusion: “Love is stronger than hate. Kindness can heal the world.” A timeline and selected bibliography are included. Ages 8–14. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"As the teenage diarist and civil rights leader stand together, the timeless, powerful themes they heralded form the conclusion: 'Love is stronger than hate. Kindness can heal the world."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2019

Gr 3–7-Churnin has reached into the past and pulled out amazing connections between two of the most celebrated figures of the twentieth century. Even though they were on separate continents, the author shows how their experiences paralleled each other in many ways. Born the same year and treated as inferior due to their race, both Martin and Anne dreamed of a world where equality and justice prevailed. By using key events from their lives to show the forces arrayed against them, the author makes the resilience and positive outlook of both figures even more evident. Illustrator Nayberg's paintings capture details such as the "Whites Only!" signs seen during the Civil Rights Movement in the Jim Crow South and the light coming through the attic window of Anne's hiding place. The final scene shows Martin and Anne looking up to the sky with these words reinforcing their legacies: "Love is stronger than hate. Kindness can heal the world." By showing the adversity in Martin's and Anne's lives and ending with their lasting message, the creators have made a book perfect for middle grade readers and for classrooms studying discrimination and injustice. VERDICT Highly recommended for middle grade readers and units on World War II, civil rights, and social justice.-Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elementary School, Maryville, TN

School Library Journal

2019-01-28

The lives and legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank are drawn in parallel in this visually appealing picture book.

Born in the same year on different continents, Martin and Anne both faced discrimination from the time they were school aged. Peers who were former friends fell in line with laws and policies made by privileged groups of which they were not a part. "Whites only" signs and "No Jews allowed" signs; a speech competition and a diary; beginning college at 15 and learning about Ghandi, and writing about dreams for a better world—these experiences are illustrated in matching form on opposite sides of each spread. Martin grows up to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and his assassination at age 35 cannot silence his message; Anne's life comes to an end at 15, but her legacy lives on when her diary is published and becomes a bestseller. While the ending is trite ("Love is stronger than hate. / Kindness can heal the world"), the journey through their lives and the effect of coupling their lasting impact are powerful. The art emphasizes the message of parallel experiences and changing worlds. With natural tones of green and brown and stylized faces and forms, the images don't fall back on King's iconic look, creating instead a fresh tapestry of landscapes and humanity.

A surprisingly successful and enlightening combination strengthened by striking artwork. (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews