The side with the green cover of this 11 1/4 x 9 1/4" double story involves Mari's experiences as a new girl at school. Mari is an immigrant child who has not yet learned English. After her teacher, Mr. Petrie, discovers that Mari can draw at the easel, she is able to tell her classmates a bit about herself by herself. Mr. Petrie uses one of Mari's drawings about her feelings to talk with his pupils after one of them calls her dummy. Mama tells Mari, In life there will always be those who hurt and tease out of ignorance...look and listen so you will not be one of them. Mari makes progress learning English, and, at home, so does Mama. Readers must turn the book around and upside down to locate the orange-covered side relating Mari's life story in words and pictures. Aliki's full-color artwork created with colored pencils and crayons effectively shows Mari as a greatly cherished child in her family, glimpses of Mari's infancy and early years in her former village, and her new life. The artwork briefly becomes black and white to reflect Mari's account of an earlier war and famine. Aliki's two-part, double- sided picture story reflecting some of the school experiences and feelings of a transplanted child without a new language allows readers to guess Mari's age, grade, and birth country. According to book jacket information, Aliki herself began school in Philadelphia where she was born to Greek parents. (Ages 5-9)

A simple and elegant re-telling of the story of King's life and philosophy, alternates the author's words with his. "Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that." Large format collage illustrations, inspired by the colors of stained glass, glow on each page. A chronology and resource list are appended.