Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group, Kar-Ben Publishing, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this title.

Prior to reading this book, I had never before heard of Rabbi Joachim Prinz, much less realized that he had any connection to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pritz was a refugee from Nazi Germany who believed in justice and equality for all. This beautifully illustrated book teaches readers about Prinz's life and how he stood beside MLK as he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington.

Absolutely loved this book! How lucky are children right now to see such a sharper look at history instead of what limited knowledge we grew up with!

I'm sad to say I don't remember learning about Joachim Prinz and his work in the civil rights movement in school, and I'm glad that kids today have more inclusive books to learn from! This book gives a good overview of Prinz's and King's lives, focusing on their childhoods and how the inequality and prejudice they faced inspired their work later in life, and the story of the two meeting and working together. Prinz's speech at the March on Washington had a particularly important point that is still vital today: that the most urgent problem isn't bigotry or racism; the most pressing issue is silence. Unless people speak up about the injustices they see around them, nothing will get changed. This is as true today as it has always been, and it's good to see it passed on to today's youth.
The presentation in this book is really well done; the narrative flows nicely, the art is warm, with a retro vibe that feels of its time. At the end, there's a helpful timeline of events, always a nice touch. I would definitely recommend this book!

#TheRabbiandtheReverend #NetGalley

test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review test review

I can't wait to share "The Rabbi and the Reverend" with my classroom this year. Ades tells the story of two religious leaders Rabbi Prinz and Reverend Martin who despite being born on different continents share the same values and beliefs on justice, equality, and fairness. Students will get to learn a bit about the Jewish religion and the history of the Civil Rights movement, as well as the power of joining together and speaking up for the rights of others.

This informative picture book tells the story about two activists fighting for awareness for equality. German Rabbi Joachim Prinz was deported from the country for his vocal protests about antisemitism after Hitler rose to power. After he arrived in the United States, he was surprised to find the parallels between the treatment of Black people in the United States and the Jewish people in Germany. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke up about this discrimination. The two crossed paths and began to support each other in their fight for equality for all. The book reinforces the message that we cannot remain silent when witnessing injustices. By weaving together Rabbi Prinz’s and Dr. King’s life, the author provides an important perspective on the civil rights movement. Text features, including a glossary, timeline, and additional resources, provide readers with further information about these two historical figures.

This is such an important topic for young children and I feel like the author did a great job and showing the mature themes but still making it easy for the young ones to understand. If you have young children or nieces/nephews then I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but especially parents, caregivers, and educators. This is a really good (and often looked over) example of how effective it can be when we all work together regardless of background, race, religion, and nationality. The book places an added importance of speaking up for justice by stating that the hidden villain (that we continue to fight to this day) isn’t racism, hatred, or bigotry themselves, but rather the silence that is created when we let these evils grow bigger and do nothing to stop it.

This book really highlights that the fight for civil rights was not fought by one person alone. There were many people who consistently worked hard and marched for freedom

I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my future little ones.

Personally this has beeb one of my children's books about Dr King I've read (and I've read three or four this year alone!). It's very informative and I thought it was a unique story to focus on since most focus on his life/I have a dream speech. This one brings something more to the table. The illustrations are also great.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I received an electronic ARC from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Ades captures the strength and power of these two men who fought for freedom and the rights of others. Each realized that the main enemy of progress is when people remain silent. This comes through clearly in this informational text about their lives and commitment to equal rights for everyone. The illustrations support the text and transport readers to their time and locations.
Terrific book for family or class discussion.

Wow! What an important book to teacher children about coming together in the face of justice. This should be required reading in elementary school.

This non-fiction book tells a story of two men who had the same idea - to stand against racial injustice. The Rabbi Prinz grew up in Germany , and opposed Hitler's power while Martin Luther King. Jr. opposed the idea of racial injustices in the United States. Together,  they led a peaceful protest and gave a powerful speech for freedom from the injustices . Yes, Martin Luther King did not stand alone to convey "I have a Dream," but had a companion (The  Rabbi) to support the idea as well.

I like how they have briefly summarized their life story, just to have a brief idea for the readers to understand who these greatest men were. I also appreciate that the book includes timelines and  glossary for quick reference in this book, and also other resources included for further reference .
I wish that the Rabbi was given more credit to the part of this history because to be honest , I wasn't aware of such man exist.
One thing is that the book is not only that it is easy to comprehend, but also minimize the terrible parts which makes the book suitable for very young readers .
I believe that this picture book is ideal to be included as a reference in school and public libraries, and also become helpful for social justice and black history month lesson plans

Fabulous book, but it has shown a lacking in our public education. This Rabbi, who was so instrumental, seems to have been left out of the history books.
The timeline is wonderful and shows at a glance where each holy man was in his life.
Again, this is a wonderful book!

This nonfiction picture book tells the intersecting stories of Joachim Prinz and Martin Luther King Jr., showing how they both grew up to oppose injustice. Prinz grew up in Germany, opposed Hitler's rise to power, and was able to leave Germany with his family prior to World War II. When he came to America, he was alarmed to see familiar patterns of discrimination directed to Black people, and he took a role in the Civil Rights Movement.

The story also introduces MLK's childhood experiences and work towards justice, and the book works smoothly as a dual biography that culminates in the men's presence together at the March on Washington, where they both gave speeches. The book emphasizes the importance of speaking up for justice, stopping bystander behavior, and joining together with others to work towards social improvement.

I had never heard about Prinz before, or if I had, he was presented as such a footnote to history that I did not remember him. I enjoyed learning about his story, and the book is very well-written, sharing information in a brief, concise manner while highlighting important and memorable details. The vivid, atmospheric illustrations are also wonderful, capturing recognizable likenesses of historical figures and depicting historical time periods in a detailed, accurate way.

This book includes a glossary and a timeline at the end, and the timeline mentions MLK's assassination, even though the rest of the book does not. I found this book very educational and interesting, and I appreciate its positive portrayal of inter-faith justice work and the author's choice to let the story speak for itself without taking on a preachy connection to current events at the end. This is very powerful and well-crafted, and I would highly recommend it for libraries, schools, and families.

The art in this book is very engaging, especially for a troubling and complicated subject. Some illustrations are styled to look like paintings and others are framed as photographs. The colors are soft and subtle, but still compelling.

The text is simple, clear, and straightforward. This would be a wonderful springboard for conversation for early-grades students to begin tackling very complex and ugly parts of history without completely overwhelming them. The tenor of the book leans to hopefulness and determination, which may help young readers process the difficult subject matter.

FYI to readers, the main text does not mention Dr. King's assassination, though it is included in the supplemental timeline at the end.

This would be a great classroom read and a wonderful addition to school and classroom libraries.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

My favorite educational children's books are the ones that get me excited about learning new things.

The Rabbi and the Reverend recounts the friendship and teamwork of two incredible figures of the Civil Rights Movement: Rabbi Joachim Prinz and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Using beautiful illustrations and clear, concise language, the book takes us on a journey following each man's experience with injustice as part of a minority group, and how those parallel experiences led to their collaboration at the March on Washington.

I had no idea about this piece of history, and I genuinely feel like a better person for learning it. It's a fantastic introduction to Civil Rights history and a great way to start conversations about intersectionality for all ages.

I've already requested it for our branch, and I can't wait till it hits the shelves.

This important story about the friendship and mutual trust and support between Rabbi Joachim Prinz and Dr. Martin Luther King is an important story about the bonds between two people from different backgrounds who found common ground. The book shows them both at the March on Washington and focuses on the similarity of their focus on the importance of speaking up about the needs of people being denied their rights and dignity. I am glad to see this story being told to young children.