Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson (review)

For the unnamed little girl narrating this picture book account, racial discrimination in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama is immediate and personal. She can't share the playground, school, or drinking fountains with white kids. When Dr. King comes to speak at her church and rally the black congregation for a march, the adults express their reservations: there are mouths to feed, and nobody can afford to be fired from their jobs. The kids recognize their stake in the cause and so, with no jobs to lose, they willingly set their own feet to the march and even to face jail time. Jail turns out to be just one of the threats, as water cannons and police dogs assault the child protestors. The text is taut and clear, making its greatest impact through its simple, even understated, specifics. The children's determination is ably captured in Morrison's expressive and individuated cast, and in the photographs that share space with quotation sources and bibliography in the end matter. A well-designed endpaper timeline of children holding signage of events from 1963 through 1965 effectively ushers the audience into and beyond the march, and this would make an effective complement to Levinson's more biographically focused The Youngest Marcher (BCCB 2/17). EB