THE CART THAT CARRIED MARTIN (Charlesbridge, 2013)
Written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Don Tate
Pre-K through Grade 4 

THE CART THAT CARRIED MARTIN is an easy to understand look at the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.  The story follows the funeral processions of King that happened in an unusual way. A man of great principles and convictions had a humble beginning and his funeral procession mirrored this fact. The story begins simply with a used cart that is for sale. The owner can never be found so the men wanting to purchase it for King’s funeral procession borrow it to return it. They fix it up, paint it, and use it to carry King’s body.

Each item on the cart had a very specific meaning. They painted it green for grass after a rain because Martin liked that. The mules chosen symbolized the fact that he was “ordinary” and were a symbol of freedom for slaves. As the cart was drawn through crowds, history is recorded in the text and illustrations showing the large outpouring of people who attended his funeral at Ebenezer Baptist Church and the procession with the cart through Atlanta and to Morehouse College.

The crowds overwhelmed the college quad and a second memorial service was held. The illustrations are soft and inviting and pull the reader into the greatness of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the great legacy left behind. The coffin was then transferred to a hearse to be taken to the cemetery. The mules were set back out to pasture and the wagon returned, to be later placed in the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. The cart that was old and unwanted became a holder of greatness.

This book can be used as a simple, yet moving, introduction to the life of King and his continued legacy that “could not be kept in a coffin.”

Cross-curricular connections: Math, Art, Social Studies, English

Ideas for Classroom Use: 

Route Mapping

The purpose of this activity is to use map and routing skills to determine the best ways to travel and study distances. This activity incorporates math skills into reading and history.

Use old road maps or an atlas and find the route the cart could have taken when King’s funeral happened. Could he still take the same route today? What is the difference in how he was travelling for today’s route? Be sure to include stops at the church, the capital, and Morehouse College and then on to the cemetery. How many miles, feet, inches, etc. would the mules have traveled? How many miles did the hearse travel? Draw a new route and calculate the distance for King to travel today to be seen by a maximum amount of people.

Finding Greatness

The purpose of this activity is to expand on the influence King had in American history and culture. Adjust the story to fit the age of children in the classroom for their best grasp of the material. Find books that tell about how King changed the culture of America and how he still affects life today.

After reading these stories, have students write a “dream” that they may have about how America can be stronger and better in the future. Have younger students dictate their story and illustrate what changes they would make for America. Share these in large groups or in classroom-made books to build exposure to print, and story processes.

Everyone but you...

The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to think about the difference that King made in America. Have students of certain color shirts only stand at the back of the line for a day, children with brown hair cannot use the water fountain, etc.  Discuss in large or small groups how that exclusion makes the children feel, and how things should happen instead.

After this discussion, have students write a list of conduct rules to help everyone feel included and post it in the classroom.

Additional Resources and Activities:

Interactive Maps of Atlanta
This site has several interactive maps of the Atlanta area that students can look at to determine routes and distances. The current transportation available in Atlanta is linked on this page as well.

Martin Luther King Jr.
This video created by Brain Pop gives a quick overview of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. The video discusses the topics King worked to make changes for, his life, and his long term reach. The page includes links to famous quotes, laws that have changed based on his contribution to America, and many other items. A quick quiz for understanding is included on the video.

Eve Bunting Author Study
This page at ReadWriteThink.org is an overview of Eve Bunting’s work and biography. The page includes links to external sites giving more information including a link to Scholastic’s author study page for kids.

Kathy Prater is a Reading Specialist who works with students with dyslexia, an Adjunct Professor at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi, and a full time pre-kindergarten teacher at Starkville Academy in Starkville, Mississippi. Her passions include reading, writing, tending her flock of chickens, and helping students at all levels to find motivation for lifelong reading and learning. She believes that every child can become a successful reader if given the right tools and encouragement.