I want my kids to know that Martin Luther King Day represents more than a three-day weekend. But instead of watching more grown-up documentaries that can be a bit scary for little eyes, I'm thrilled to have a copy of Scholastic's new DVD, March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World. . .And More Stories About African American History.
(Update: And now, you can purchase the 20-minute video for just $1.99 through iTunes and play through your device.)
March On!. . .features four award-winning children's books on DVD, each narrated with music and sound effects over illustrations from the books.
My kids were riveted by the title story which was written with obvious love by Dr. King's sister Christine King Ferris and tells the story of his I Have a Dream speech. It is way better than any dry textbook account, with gorgeous singing by Mahalia Jackson and moving photographs from that day.
While all four stories are appropriate for school-aged kids' eyes and ears, this is not a DVD to plop on for the kids and leave the room. The four books, especially the story of Henry's Freedom Box, cover some very tough subjects like slavery, segregation and prejudice. But, if you do watch this DVD with your kids and talk about how some very brave people overcame great obstacles, I'm pretty sure they'll never think of Martin Luther King Day as just another day off from school again.
March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World. . .And More Stories About African American History is available from Scholastic or download via iTunes.
