Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King with the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds and illustrated by Ekua Holmes is a gracefully put forth story about the life and important work of Coretta Scott King. The material is adapted from King’s adult memoir.
Children 5-9 years of age as well as the entire family will enjoy the strikingly beautiful illustrations throughout. Ekua Holmes’s illustrations are gorgeously done. The vibrant greens, reds and yellows speak to the beauty of Coretta’s life. Her first meeting with Martin Luther King, her marriage to him in 1953 and her piano playing with their four small children are wonderful illustrations full of love, creativity, and music.
As this beautiful book shows, Coretta worked for many causes including the Supreme Court’s ruling that Alabama’s bus segregation laws were unconstitutional. After the tragic death of Martin Luther King, she continued her determination on many fronts. In 1983 her diligent work resulted in the establishment of Martin Luther King’s birthday as a National Holiday. The development of the King Center was another of her many important contributions put forth in this picture book.
At the back of this book there is a very useful and well-crafted Civil Rights Timeline for older children, parents, and teachers. It has 42 notations starting with Coretta’s birth in 1927 and ending with her death in 2006.
Coretta: An Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King written by her with the reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds and illustrated by Ekua Holmes is a gorgeous picture book for the whole family. (GODWINBOOKS/ Henry Holt and Company/ Macmillan Publishing Group)2024.
The Children’s Bookshelf is a production of WCMU. Links to the review and the Activity Questions can be found at Children’s Bookshelf dot org.
Activity Questions for Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King
Look at the Six Principals of Non-Violence at the back of this book. Then draw a picture of number two: “Non- Violence Seeks to Win Friendship and Understanding.” Think about this principal and what it could look like before you draw your picture.
On June 26, 1968, Coretta founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. It is now called the King Center. With the help of an adult, research the King Center online and make a list of all it does.
The illustrations in this book are beautiful. Look at them again. Which three pictures are your favorites? Why?
