My Uncle Martin's Big Heart

by Angela Farris Watkins, Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

Overview

A moving portrait of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. from his niece
 
My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart is a story about love: love between a young girl and her uncle, and all the love she sees her uncle share—with his family members, with his church congregation, and with all people. In this inspiring narrative about Martin Luther King Jr.—told by his niece—young readers will discover the story of the man behind the civil rights hero and activist, one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century.
 
As Angela Farris Watkins, PhD, introduces children to her uncle, she presents them with a rare glimpse into his life at home, including special family moments. What unfolds is a story of character and service to God, family, and humankind, and of how one man’s extraordinary love changed the history of the United States and the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647004477
Publisher:	Abrams
Publication date:	12/22/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Angela Farris Watkins, PhD, is the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. She is an associate professor of psychology at Spelman College. Watkins is the author of two children’s books about her uncle published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. She lives in Atlanta.; Eric Velasquez is the illustrator of numerous books for children. He received the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award and won the Pura Belpré Honor for illustration. He lives in Hartsdale, New York.

Editorial Reviews

In her first book for children, Watkins offers an affectionate tribute to King (known to his family as “Uncle M.L.”), emphasizing his love of family and laughter. While she notes his accomplishments as orator and civil rights activist, her focus is on personal memories of her uncle, who was killed before the author turned four. The reminiscences are anecdotal: Watkins recalls that King would divert his attention from the congregants who were waiting to greet him after he preached to give her “a kiss and a great big hug!” And on one visit to her home, “he was so tired, he fell asleep on our living room couch--with his shoes on! Can you imagine?” More memorable than the theatrical and repetitive narrative are the realistic paintings Velasquez (My Friend Maya Loves to Dance) offers of King, who is shown at work and with his immediate family. In an artist’s note, Velasquez explains that he intentionally portrayed Watkins as older than she actually was during King’s lifetime; the scenes of uncle and niece together poignantly reveal the bond between them. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 3—A niece recalls the times she spent as a young girl with her famous uncle. "He was a great civil rights leader and an American hero….His name was the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But to me, it was Uncle Martin. Actually, it was Uncle M.L." Watkins briefly mentions some of the famous events associated with King during the civil-rights era, such as protest marches and speeches, but the focus is on the special relationship the child shared with a favorite uncle and the details she remembers, such as his humor and laughter. An apt example is an illustration in which the author races down the aisle after services at Ebenezer and into the outstretched arms of her uncle. Realistic and warm paintings fill each page. Combine this memoir with Christine King Farris's My Brother Martin (S & S, 2003) and March on! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World (Scholastic, 2008). These books written by close relatives give young children a valuable and more personal insight into the man's family life and times.—Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

Martin Luther King's niece offers a child's-eye tribute to her famous uncle, whom she remembers as warm and loving, a man with a loud voice who enjoyed a good laugh. The author was not yet four when King was assassinated but tells her first-person story in a slightly older voice. Velasquez's paintings match that, showing a pigtailed girl of five or six, as well as King in a variety of settings: speaking, preaching and leading marchers, visiting her family and at home with his own. The emphasis is on King's love for his extended family as well as his country and its people. The intended audience may find the chronology confusing, with appealing stories of early-childhood encounters coming before the telegram congratulating her mother on her birth. But the image of King sleeping on the couch with shoes on will stick with them, humanizing a man who has become an icon. This unusual perspective and the dramatic art make this a worthwhile addition to the ever-growing MLK collection. (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews