Picture book · Nonfiction
I Have a Dream
Martin Luther King Jr.; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
About the book
The text of Dr. King's 1963 speech at the March on Washington, illustrated with paintings by Kadir Nelson.
Reading notes
Pair with audio of the speech; useful for older elementary readers studying primary sources. The speech speaks directly about segregation and racial injustice, so expect questions about civil-rights history.
This description was drafted with AI assistance and checked by a separate AI review against catalog, publisher and award sources on 2026-11-11. It has not been reviewed by a human editor. Report an error.
Recognition
- ["Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor (2013)"]
Recognition is listed from the awarding bodies’ published records. How we verify awards.
Book details
- Author
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Illustrator
- Kadir Nelson
- First published
- 2012
- Suggested ages
- Ages 5–10 (editorial estimate — children vary)
- Reading mode
- Best read aloud
- Topics
- civil rights, martin luther king, speeches
- Edition shown
- ISBN 9780375858871 · Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012
- Catalog record
- Open Library work record · edition record
Metadata verified against Open Library on 2026-11-11. Other editions and formats exist; ISBNs differ by edition.
Featured in
Book list
Children's Books About Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement
Picture books, biographies and novels about Dr. King and the civil rights movement by age, with guidance for honest conversations and primary sources to pair.
For educators & librarians
Civil Rights Picture Book Unit for Grades 2–5: A Two-Week Plan with Primary Sources
A 1–2 week civil rights unit built on picture books, with a daily plan, National Archives primary sources, vocabulary, assessment and guidance on hard history.