Sometimes People March
By Tessa Allen
(for readers in preschool–3rd grade)
January brought the hope of a fresh start. It is also the month in which we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. who taught the power of nonviolent marches for civil rights. In Tessa Allen’s book Sometimes People March, people come together to speak about things they care about from climate change to Black Lives Matter to LBTQ + rights. If your child is looking to understand the importance of the power that comes from people banding together for a peaceful march, Sometimes People March is an inspirational read to remind us there is power in peaceful protest.
Allen’s book has simple, well-chosen words to express why people decide to march. It explains what has led people to unite in non-violent protest, and references historic movements and marches that have taken place around the world recently and over a century past to the Newsies Strike in 1899.
Tessa Allen is an illustrator and was inspired to write the book when children in her periphery (her students and her nieces) saw all the protests that followed the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. “For some kids it felt confusing or scary, and I found myself saying, ‘sometimes people march—it is something Americans have done for a long time,'” said Allen.
The book also expresses that you don’t need to be part of a march to protest something: you can join a meeting or express yourself through art and words. She informs her audience that there are many ways in which they can make a difference.
Sometimes People March will remind your child that their voices matter, and shows productives ways to let voices be heard.
The Greenline 