I Have a Dream

In superlative oil paintings, Nelson brings to life Dr. King’s most famous speech, and the one children are most likely to know. Nelson has chosen to illustrate the section that specifically addresses the dream, beginning with the words "I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulty of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream." The accompanying illustration depicts Dr. King standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, addressing the crowd at the March on Washington. The pages that follow show scenes from the event as well as more literal illustrations of Dr. King’s words: black children and white children playing together, a black hand clasping a white hand, and his own "four little children." When we reach the climactic "Let freedom ring..." part of the speech, two gorgeous double-page spreads show interconnected panels of the "prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire" and the "snowcapped Rockies of Colorado," ultimately linked with "every hill and molehill of Mississippi," in a sweeping vista. At the end, we return to a larger-than-life close-up of Dr. King’s impassioned face, the hopeful faces of the audience, and finally white doves flying against a blue sky, representing the words "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" The complete text of the speech is printed at the back of the book, and an accompanying CD is also included [unseen]. Visually, this is a stunning accomplishment that embodies the thrilling inspiration of Dr. King’s words as he first spoke them. kathleen t. horning