We March

We March

Written and Illustrated by Shane Evans

Roaring Brook Press, 2012

32 Pages

Multicultural - African American

     I originally chose the book We March by Shane Evans to use in my Historical Fiction or Informational book blog. I ended up finding more rigid fitting books for these categories, and luckily, this book fits perfectly under the Multicultural heading. This is a story about the March on Washington that occurred on August 28, 1963. The story is told from a young boy's perspective. He and his family arise in the morning and prepare for the March. The reader is taken on a journey through time to see how an African American family in 1963 might have went about this morning. This book depicts the March on Washington in a mere 61 words. Simple and moving, this book is a powerful representation of what it means to have a dream.

     Evans' mixed media illustrations using textured paper collages with line drawings and paintings offer extensively more information and emotion than even words can say. With only 61 words in total, We March leaves a lot of information to be found in the illustrations. The colorful images of African Americans coming together to march for a cause highlights the hardships and shared culture of this group of people. I specifically chose the picture above because it shows that not only did African Americans March on Washington, but also men and women, black and white, elderly and children, Jews and Christians. People from all different races, religions, ages, and cultures came to march for the same cause. I believe this paints a powerful picture to readers-- that even those who are different, are not all that different after all.

     We March is best suited for grades Pre K - 2. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom began at the Washington Monument and ended with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic, "I have a Dream" speech. Discuss ways to make a difference with students. Allow students to talk with one another about their dreams to make the world a better place. Then, have students create their own "I have a dream..." bubble. Perhaps during Black History Month, devote one day to researching a famous leader of Civil Rights (such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., etc.) each day of the week. At the end of the week, have students move around the room and play "Who Am I?" by reading the description of their person and guessing who they are based on the description. You might also ask students to tell how people communicated on the day of the March (i.e. speeches, signs, buttons, etc.). Tell them that another way that the message about freedom was shared was by singing. Introduce them to the song lyrics for “We Shall Overcome.” You may choose to play the song and sing along together. Finally, ask students to write, draw or tell why they think songs were included as part of the March on Washington. This would be a great springboard to lead into Freedom Songs and African American culture in the 1960's.