Photo by David Giroux
Dean Robbins is the author of the new children's picture book You Are a Star, Martin Luther King, Jr. Robbins' other books include The Shape of Things. He is also a journalist.
Q: What inspired you to write You Are a Star, Martin Luther King, Jr.?
A: I was a child in 1968 when news of Dr. King’s assassination broke on television. I knew nothing of world affairs, but the videoclips of the “I Have a Dream” speech affected me profoundly.
Dr. King’s eloquent words helped me understand injustice and also inspired me to do something about it. What I did that night, unfortunately, was carve the initials “MLK” into the family bookcase with a letter opener, earning a punishment from my parents.
When I grew older, I found more productive ways of spreading Dr. King’s message of freedom and equality. With You Are a Star, Martin Luther King, Jr., I hope to make young readers feel what I felt the first time I heard “I Have a Dream.”
Q: The Booklist review of the book says, “This picture-book biography of Martin Luther King Jr. stands out among the crowd of books written for children about this civil rights hero because, in addition to its clear focus on pivotal moments in his activist career, it presents a host of illuminating details.” What do you think of that description, and how did you choose the details to include?
A: I’m grateful that the reviewer noticed the book’s distinctive quality because I strove for a unique approach to this much-covered subject. The key is the signature format of Scholastic’s You Are a Star series: a page-turning story enlivened by a sidebar and a two-panel comic on every spread.
In the main narrative, I portray the dramatic events of Dr. King’s life, from his dawning awareness of racism as a child to his courageous protests, culminating in the civil rights and voting rights acts. In the sidebars and comics, I enrich the narrative with little-known anecdotes, quirky details, and thought-provoking explanations of free speech and other concepts.
The result, I hope, is a snappy rather than solemn children’s book about Martin Luther King, Jr., allowing the icon to step down from his pedestal and have a bit of fun.
Q: What do you think Anastasia Magloire Williams’ illustrations add to the book?
A: Speaking of fun, Anastasia’s lively illustrations give us an approachable Dr. King, one who writes Letter from Birmingham Jail on toilet paper, dances with his wife, Coretta, at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and affectionately engages with his four kids.
At the same time, Anastasia powerfully renders the Montgomery bus boycott, the Selma march, and the signing of the Civil Rights Act. Her final image, in which diverse people unite to advance Dr. King’s platform of peace and love, is as stirring a representation of “I Have a Dream” as I’ve seen.
Q: What would you say are some of the most common perceptions and misconceptions about Martin Luther King Jr.?
A: The common perception is that he’s deserving of reverence, which is true. But a common misperception is that his story can’t be told with a touch of irreverence. Dr. King himself had a great sense of humor, and You Are a Star, Martin Luther King, Jr. reflects his playfulness in both the text and the illustrations.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I have a STEM-oriented book in the works with my Scholastic editor, Katie Heit, about Albert Einstein, based on a remarkable true story that will be new to most readers.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Like other books in the Scholastic series, You Are a Star, Martin Luther King, Jr. features particularly vibrant back matter. Along with an author’s note, timeline, glossary, inspiring quotes, and a list of resources, it provides young readers with tips for following in Martin’s footsteps.
With luck, the book will set them on a path toward making the world a better place, just as those videoclips of the “I Have a Dream” speech did for me.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Dean Robbins.
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