Martin Luther King Jr.
Said "Love your enemies."
He wanted everyone to live
Side by side in peace.

He told the people "Do not fight,"
Let's live in harmony."
He helped to make the world a better
Place for you and me.
 

Dr. King was a brave man
Who had a special dream.
He dreamed the world was filled with love
And peace and harmony.

Happy birthday Dr. King!
Happy birthday to you!
Each one of us is working hard
To make your dream come true.

This great man had a dream.
In his eye he had a gleam.
We must love each other to survive.
We will keep his dream alive.

He dreamed everyone was good.
He had dreams of brotherhood.
We must love each other to survive.
We will keep his dream alive.

All join hands.  Let us sing.
Let the bells of freedom ring!
We must love each other to survive.
We will keep his dream alive.

If we learn from the past.
We will all be free at last!
We must love each other to survive.
We will keep his dream alive.

Do you know whose song we sing?
It's Dr. Martin Luther King.
We must love each other to survive.
We will keep his dream alive.

Freedom, freedom, let it ring.
"Let it ring," said Dr. King.
Let us live in harmony.
Peace and love for you and me.
Freedom, freedom, let it ring.
"Let it ring," said Dr. King.
 

The cover painting of an African-American boy against a colorful landscape beckons readers inside to discover the wonders of creation. With each page turn and line of verse, Nelson gives fresh, thought-provoking interpretations to the lyrics that will stir the imagination and spark discussion. For example, He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands depicts the boy, present throughout the book, holding a childlike drawing of people of different races and skin tones, suggesting the notion that all humanity should be viewed as brothers and sisters. The simple, repetitious flow of the words and the refrain make this an excellent read-aloud choice as well as a sing-along favorite. A moving, artistic celebration of our world and the people who share in its splendors.

A delightful book illustrated with full-color photographs of multiethnic children and adults. The premise is that all over the world, people are helping one another, and in doing so, they are bringing about peace: "Somewhere today...someone is being a friend instead of fighting" or "someone is fixing old toys to give to new friends." Each double-page spread provides an example of a positive action in large type, along with several candid photographs of the individuals involved in bringing it about. A doctor cares for an infant, a boy teaches his sister to ride a bike, two youngsters visit an elderly woman, etc. The book is visually appealing and offers a proactive, if somewhat simplistic, approach to creating a better world.

"My 3-year old began asking lots of questions about the different people we know and their skin color. I looked everywhere for a simple, informative book. He loved the photos and the explanations that the color you are comes from 1) your family, 2) the sun, and 3) melanin. At the end the books asks where you think your ancestors came from (for instance somewhere very sunny). Any my son immediately replied: "Somewhere dark!" Indeed, he's right and now he understands why we come in different colors and sees this as interesting and wonderful."
Parent review from Amazon.com

This stunning picture book introduces race as just one of many chapters in a person's story. Beginning with the line, "I am a story," Lester tells his own story with details that kids will enjoy, like his favorite food, hobbies, and time of day. Then he states, "Oh. There's something else that is part of my story…I'm black." Throughout the narrative, he asks questions that young readers can answer, creating a dialogue about who they are and encouraging them to tell their own tales. He also discusses "stories" that are not always true, pointing out that we create prejudice by perceiving ourselves as better than others. He asks children to press their fingers against their faces, pointing out, "Beneath everyone's skin are the same hard bones." Remove our skin and we would all look the same.  The pairing of text and dazzling artwork is flawless. This wonderful book should be a first choice for all collections and is strongly recommended as a springboard for discussions about differences.

At bedtime, a child wishes for magical things such as "a bed with a sail and an oar that will float on the shadows so dark on the floor," but goes on to wish for more idealistic things, such as world peace, a restored environment, and basically "a world where what's wrong is put right." Brightly colored collages featuring active, multiethnic people, complement the rhyming text well. This picture book, with its utopian vision, could be used to start discussions about the future hopes and dreams of young readers and listeners.

Grammy award-winning Bunny Hull has created another outstanding album, with 13 original songs and one original story.  Hull presents songs intended to inspire children to reach for their dreams, to strive for freedom, and to develop self-esteem and self-affirmation. Rap, soft rock, calypso, New Age, folk rock, and Latin styles of music help make this album a varied listening experience. The songs include "I Am Somebody," "Dream a World," "Pass It On," "Flow Like a River," "Circle of Creativity," "Follow Your Heart" (in English and Spanish), "Over the Sky and Under the Moon," "Master of My Dreams," "That's the Way It Works," "Free to Be Me," "Pledge to Myself," "The Mind Is a Funny Thing," and "Beautiful People." 

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