The Dream Builder's Blueprint - by Alice Faye Duncan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A riveting found poem for kids based on Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Street Sweeper" speech.

Dr. King's words are creatively interpreted in this nonfiction picture book written by acclaimed author Alice Faye Duncan, accompanied by gorgeous artwork by E. B. Lewis.

In a speech delivered in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provided his young audience with life lessons:

• You count.
• Black is beautiful.
• Achieve excellence.
• Make a better world.
• Believe in nonviolence.
• Keep going!

Today, award-winning author Alice Faye Duncan reinterprets King's speech as a motivational erasure poem in The Dream Builder's Blueprint, accompanied by spirited and inspired art by Philadelphia-born illustrator E. B. Lewis. Highlighting principles of excellence, activism, and compassion that remain relevant and necessary today, this book has a universal message that's ideal for parents, librarians, and teachers looking for a book that distills Dr. King's principles to a level that kids can understand.

Included in the book is an author's note that explains found poetry forms like the erasure poem and provides background information on the Civil Rights movement and Dr. King's inspiring speech at Philadelphia's Barratt Junior High School.

Review Quotes

★"To create this moving erasure poem about nonviolent protest and more, Duncan works with the text of an October 1967 talk that Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) gave at South Philadelphia's Barratt Junior High--per an opening note, text shaped 'specifically for school-age children.' Beginning 'a blueprint serves as the pattern for those building a building, ' straightforward lines 'suggest things that should be in your life's blueprint, ' including celebrating the self, achieving excellence, seeking justice, and believing in nonviolence. Lewis combines gouache, markers, and watercolor with tissue paper to offer images of progress--on an early page, hands are shown drafting on blueprint paper; elsewhere, a figure is depicted having reached the top of a mountain. And as lines emphasize 'MAKE A BETTER WORLD, ' one image shows a figure sitting atop a tall stack of paper with some sheets crumpled nearby. It's a work poised to offer crucial guidance on how to build a meaningful life and contribute to the world."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

★"It is essential that readers understand and appreciate the author's process of creating an erasure poem, as described in the front matter, before proceeding through this remarkable book. Duncan explains that she condensed a 1,765-word speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s into a 277-word poem, distilling its message without losing its essence. King's message in this rarely shared 1967 speech to a junior high school was about the importance of making a plan--a blueprint--for life so that you can live with intentionality and purpose, civic responsibility and dignity, self-confidence and joy... Lewis' illustrations are bold and impressionistic, filled with an energy that underscores the words. 'MAKE A BETTER WORLD. Study . . . Burn the midnight oil. Don't drop out of school' overlay a scene of nighttime and daytime, crumpled pages and reams of paper symbolizing the effort it takes to live a life with a blueprint... The Dream Builder's Blueprint is a model for writing with precision and intent, and a tribute to a man who knew the power of words--by an author who clearly does as well."--Booklist, starred review

"Uplifting... inspiring reading... (with) Lewis' evocative images... pithy, rousing, and never more cogent."--Kirkus Reviews

"Listening to the words of Dr. King that day at Barratt Junior High is something I will never forget. I still have a vivid picture of him that will NEVER be erased. His words were an inspiration to me and my classmates."--Kevin Washington, former National President and CEO of the YMCA and Barrett 8th Grade Class of 1967

"The Dream Builder's Blueprint is a loving road map to hope for young people in troubling times. In found poetry drawn from Dr. King's speech during a Philadelphia junior high school visit in 1967, the book joyfully uplifts his message of peace and purpose for a new generation."--Yolanda Wisher, Philadelphia Poet Laureate, 2016-2017

About the Author

Alice Faye Duncan is the author of Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop, which received a 2019 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor and five starred reviews; Coretta's Journey, which was a 2023 Horn Book Fanfare Book and a Eureka! Nonfiction Childrens' Honor Book; Traveling Shoes, and many more books for young readers.

Caldecott Honor and five-time Coretta Scott King award-winner E. B. Lewis is the illustrator of more than seventy books for children. His recent titles include Invincible, which was nominated for the Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Awards, Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem, which received four starred reviews and was a Kirkus Most Anticipated Book of 2024, and The Soldier's Friend.