One Million Men and Me

Reader reviewed by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, The Original H.I.R. (Historical Investigative Reporter)

The word classic means enduring, historically memorable, and of recognized value and it is the perfect word to describe author Kelly Starling Lyons book, One Million Men and Me.

One Million Men and Me is the sweet story of a little girl who accompanies her father to Washington, DC to participate in an event that will go down in history. The date is October 16, 1995, the day black men from every walk of life gather in Washington to march, bond, and change the worlds perception of the African American male.

Safe in her fathers shadow and clutching his big, masculine hand, the precocious little girl drinks in the sights and sounds of the march and imagines herself an ebony princess as she strolls among proud black men who have come to make their voices heard and change the world in the process.

I just love this book. Lyons writes in a voice that is authentic and sweet, but artist Peter Ambushs drawings make the book even more memorable by capturing realistic expressions of love, adoration and fierce pride that virtually leap off the printed page.

Dont miss out on this beautifully moving picture book. Its extremely adaptable, and is as perfect for the elementary history class as it is for story time around the family fireplace.