A Place To Land

 

A Place to Land reflects on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and the movement that it galvanized.

Starred Reviews!
Kirkus
Horn Books
Booklist
Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
Texas Bluebonnet Master List


Winner of the 2020 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children by NCTE (The National Council of Teachers of English)

Much has been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. But there's little on his legendary speech and how he came to write it.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was once asked if the hardest part of preaching was knowing where to begin. No, he said. The hardest part is knowing where to end. "It's terrible to be circling up there without a place to land."

The Washington Post:
“[The] book, illustrated with enormous heart and rich textures by Jerry Pinkney, presents Dr. King’s inspiring words as part of an outsize pageant, featuring King, the crowds and others on the stage, including Mahalia Jackson, who urged King, ‘Tell them about the dream!'”

 

New York Times
December 15, 2019:

"There have been dozens of picture books about Martin Luther King, Jr. Do we really need another one? Yes. Barry Wittenstein's poetic text provides the cadences and repetition of a preacher, while Jerry Pinkney's detailed, kinetic pencil and watercolor art incorporates bits of torn maps and sheet music and blurry period photos of marchers."

 

Horn Book Review:

"This is essential American history, distilled into one of the most powerful picture books of the year."  

 

School Library Journal:
"Takes a familiar topic and shapes it into a moving portrait of ­undeterred determination and conviction." 

 

Common Sense Media:
"This [is a] beautiful, unusual picture book. Author Wittenstein turns the historical record into spare, poetic text. 

The Day The River Caught Fire

Discover the true story of how a 1969 fire in one of the most polluted rivers in America sparked the national Earth Day movement in this nonffiction picture book by award-winning author Barry Wittenstein and beloved illustrator Jessie Hartland.

After the Industrial Revolution in the 1880s, the Cayuhoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, caught fire almost twenty times, earning Cleveland the nickname “The Mistake on the Lake.” Waste dumping had made fires so routine that local politicians and media didn’t pay them any mind, and other Cleveland residents laughed off their combustible river and even wrote songs about it.

But when the river ignited again in June 1969, the national media picked up on the story and added fuel to the fire of the recent environmental movement. A year later, in 1970, President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency—leading to the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts—and the first Earth Day was celebrated. It was a celebration, it was a protest, and it was the beginning of a movement to save our planet.

 

Kirkus Review:

"A testament to the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire, which helped to spark Earth Day and the environmental movement." 

 

Booklist:

"Wittenstein writes an engaging story and, in an appended note, challenges his audience to take responsibility for saving the planet."

 

Publishers Weekly:

"Conversational storytelling, while repeated “HO-HUM”s capture the complacency contributing to the dire state of affairs. An author’s note further drives home the seriousness of today’s situation." 

Oscar's American Dream

If you want to see 20th century American history unfold before your eyes, stand on a city street corner and watch it change! It all starts when an immigrant named Oscar opens a barber shop...

When Oscar lands on Ellis Island, he has only a suitcase and a down payment in his hands. And he has a dream-- to own his own barbershop. After it opens on the corner of Front St. and Second Ave, Oscar's barbershop becomes a beloved local fixture... until the day Oscar decides to move on and become a subway conductor. Over the years, this barbershop will change hands to become a lady's clothing store, then a soup kitchen. A coffee shop follows, then the space becomes an army recruitment center, then a candy shop. As the years pass and the world changes, the proud corner store stands tall, watching American history unfold around it. Barry Wittenstein and debut husband-and-wife illustration team Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell tell the rich, fascinating story of key moments in American history, as reflected through the eyes--and the patrons--of the corner store.

 

PROJECT MUSE/JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS:

"Wittenstein's tale of neighborhood change is convincing in its specificity."

 

Kirkus Review:

"Wittenstein endeavors 'to better understand the past by looking at just one building.'"

 

AASL Knowledge Quest:
“Not so much the story of a person but of a place.”

 

School Library Journal:

"Brings readers along through 100 years of history against the background of just one building."  



 

The Boo-Boos That Changed The World

Did you know Band-Aids were invented by accident?! And that they weren't mass-produced until the Boy Scouts gave their seal of approval?

1920s cotton buyer Earle Dickson worked for Johnson & Johnson and had a klutzy wife who often cut herself. The son of a doctor, Earle set out to create an easier way for her to bandage her injuries. Band-Aids were born, but Earle's bosses at the pharmaceutical giant weren't convinced, and it wasn't until the Boy Scouts of America tested Earle's prototype that this ubiquitous household staple was made available to the public. Soon Band-Aids were selling like hotcakes, and the rest is boo-boo history.

 

Kirkus Starred Review:
"Appealingly designed and illustrated, an engaging, fun story"

 

Publishers Weekly:
"Wittenstein, who imagines the details of the exchanges between Josephine and Earle, gracefully suggests to readers that even items as enduring as the Band-Aid started out as one individual’s creative solution to a common problem." 

 

School Library Journal:

"This book tells the fascinating story of the invention of the Band-Aid in the early twentieth century with a delightful sense of humor. Josephine Dickson was particularly accident-prone in the kitchen, inspiring her husband Earle to come up with a creative solution."

Sonny's Bridge

This groovy, bebopping picture book biography chronicles the legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins's search for inspiration on the Williamsburg Bridge after quitting the jazz scene in 1959.

Rollins is one of the most prolific sax players in the history of jazz, but, in 1959, at the height of his career, he vanished from the jazz scene. His return to music was an interesting journey--with a long detour on the Williamsburg Bridge. Too loud to practice in his apartment, Rollins played on the New York City landmark for two years among the cacophony of traffic and the stares of bystanders, leading to the release of his album, The Bridge.

Written in rhythmic prose with a bebop edge, and gorgeously illustrated by Keith Mallett, this picture-book biography of Sonny Rollins's journey to get his groove back will delight young and old fans alike.

 

Kirkus Starred Review:

 "Rollins grew up at the perfect time for a jazz musician. Written in free verse that flirts with rhyme, the text moves through measures and beats like the up-and-down swings of jazz."

 

School Library Journal:

"The life of jazz legend Sonny Rollins pulses with the rousing spontaneity of his music in Wittenstein’s free verse biography."

 

Booklist:

"Wittenstein presents the story in jaunty, lyrical phrasings.  A good choice for collections in need of biographies focused on music or lesser-known African American musicians."

 

Waiting For Pumpsie

This fictionalized account captures the true story of baseball player Pumpsie Green’s rise to the major leagues. The story is a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement and a great discussion starter about the state of race relations in the United States today.

In 1959 the Boston Red Sox was the last team in the Major Leagues to integrate. But when they call Elijah “Pumpsie” Green up from the minors, Bernard is overjoyed to see a black player on his beloved home team. And, when Pumpsie’s first home game is scheduled, Bernard and his family head to Fenway Park. Bernard is proud of Pumpsie and hopeful that this historic event is the start of great change in America.

 

Kirkus Starred Review:

"A Grand Slam!"

 

School Library Journal:

"This uplifting account of a family and the integration of Boston baseball will be inspiring to many youngsters."

 

Children's Book Council:

“The story is a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement and a great discussion starter about the state of race relations in the United States today.”

School Visit Testimonials

"It was an honor and a privilege to meet you. Bringing you into the classroom was such a gift." 

Patricia Murphy
Teacher - 5th Grade
Hartshorn Elementary School
Short Hills, NJ 07078

"Barry Wittenstein’s virtual visit with our Arrowhead Elementary School 4th graders was the perfect addition to our Reading Month activities. His sneak peek into an author's life was a highlight for these kids and something they won’t soon forget!"

Kellee Kraft
Library Media Specialist
Arrowhead Elementary School
Virginia Beach, VA 23462

 

"I HIGHLY recommend booking Barry! He’s entertaining and informative! 

Nicole Levesque
Teacher
Fisher Mitchell School
597 High Street
Bath, ME 04530

 

And MORE! Testimonials

"You were not only funny, witty and well-spoken, but inspiring as well! Your positive message ​ and great advice  were much appreciated. Such a wonderful experience for the students (and me)! Thank you!"

Jessica Liakonis
Teacher - 5th Grade
Willets Rd Middle School
Roselyn Heights, NY 11577

 

"The remarks you delivered during our (2025) online event were uplifting, inspirational, informational, and a reminder that we can always do more to help create equitable spaces and bring attention to social justice issues. The words you spoke touched many hearts and our team is grateful to you for sharing such wonderful thoughts with our MLK Jr celebration participants."

Gregory Williams
Director of Gender Equity Initiatives
New York City Department of Social Services

 

"It was such a treat to have you here with us. Several people shared that they loved your presentation and Q&A after." 

Floyd Stokes
Director
2025 MLK Day of Reading
Harrisburg, PA

 

SMILE!

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Can you visit our school?

I would love to come and speak at your school or organization. I also do video visits. Please contact Julie Ann Hartman at The Booking Biz.

Where were you born?

On Long Island, a suburb of New York City, about 45 minutes away.

Where do you live now?

I live in New York, NY. So nice they named it twice! I also lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Where did you go to college?

I first went to college in Binghamton in upstate New York, then got my B.A. at San Francisco State University. I majored in English and writing. I also attended graduate school at Hunter College in NYC.

How old were you went you met your first author?

When I was in my early 20s, I shook hands with poet Allen Ginsberg. I think I also met poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, but I don't remember.  

Did you like reading when you were a kid?

No. Unless it was sports articles. Usually in a newspaper. 

Who is your favorite author?

Kurt Vonnegut

Why are you a writer?

I like being creative.  It's the only thing I know how to do. Bruce Springsteen (no relation) was once asked why he's a songwriter and performer? You know what he said? "Because I couldn't do anything else." I think many creative people feel the same way. 

What do you like writing about?

Great Question!  I like to write about social justice.  Like baseball integration. Jazz. Immigration. The environment. The Civil Rights Movement. I also like to write stories about people and events that nobody's heard about. Writing is hard to do! But it feels great when you write something that people enjoy reading.

Are you married? Do you have any children?

Yes! I have been married since 1989. We have one son, Sam, who is now an adult!

What jobs have you had?

I worked for an insurance company for one day. I quit. I was a cab driver for three years. I was a bartender for three years. I was a songwriter for...too long. I had one song recorded. It's called FEEL THE NIGHT. I worked as a secretary for CBS News. I got fired. I worked as a secretary for CBS Records. I quit. I wrote articles and interviewed authors and athletes for Major League Baseball. I got fired. I was a substitute elementary school teacher for three years. Now THAT was a hard job. Now, I'm a writer!

Why did you write a book the Band-Aid? That's not about social justice.

You're correct.  I dunno. It seemed funny. The End.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Either a baseball player for the New York Mets or be in the Beatles. I had no idea I would end up writing picture books. 

Do you like sports?

Yes! Baseball is my favorite. But I also love football and basketball. And watching the Olympics. 

Do you like animals?

I LOVE animals.  Especially dogs!

What's your favorite movie?

I have a lot of favorite movies. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Animal House. Zoolander. Some movies are silly. Some are serious. I also love documentaries like all the Ken Burns documentaries. 

Can you also draw?

Nope. Can’t draw. Not really. LOVE to doodle. Especially funny faces. But real drawing? No way.  I focus on the words. That’s difficult enough for me.

Where do you get all your GREAT ideas?

Well, thank YOU very much for the kind words!  The answer is, everywhere.  By watching and reading about the news, and listening to people talking to each other. Sometimes it’s a memory of when I was a kid. ALSO, there’s many great stories that have been published for adults, but never put into picture books for kids. 

Are you a writing expert?

Fughetaboutit!  I learn everyday. There’s so much to know! But I love to find out what I don’t know. It’s the only way to get better.

Can we ask you more questions?

Yes! Email me at bwittbooks@gmail.com or fill in this form below! Ez-Pz!!!!

Say Yo!

To say hi, tell me what's going on, comment on my books, tell me how your favorite team is doing, or just vent,  please fill out the contact form below.