  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 11/01/2006 Most elementary students will hear of Harriet Tubman early in their school careers; this luminous picture book that focuses on her spiritual motivations will help them flesh out their imaginative impressions of this strong heroine. Starting with her decision to escape from the Maryland plantation on which she lived, the book follows her perilous journey north and her decision to go back to help as many people as she could to find safety and freedom. Each decision she makes is punctuated by a prayer for guidance and comfort. Weatherford does a masterful job of depicting the kinds of conversations a woman who has memorized a lot of scriptural references might have with God; as Harriet offers up her fears and questions, God responds by personalizing a bit of scripture for her situation. God’s voice is in all caps in a shade lighter than the background; the composite result is a remarkably effective portrayal of the heartening, calming dialogue that bolstered Harriet in her times of need. In Nelson’s powerful compositions dramatic landscapes figure prominently, with low-angle views allowing the spreading skies to suggest heavenly viewpoint; the harsh lines of Harriet’s face combine with postures of vulnerability to render her character complex—dignified, determined, and strong in her supplication and submission to a will larger than and yet fully attuned to her own. An author’s note fills in the biographical detail that edges this moving portrait of the “Moses of her people.” KC - Copyright 2006 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Booklist - 08/01/2006 Weatherford’s handsome picture book focuses mostly on Tubman’s religious inspiration, with echoes of spirituals ringing throughout the spare poetry about her struggle (“Lord, don’t let nobody turn me ‘round”). God cradles Tubman and talks with her; his words (printed in block capitals) both inspire her and tell her what to do (“SHED YOUR SHOES; WADE IN THE WATER TO TRICK THE DOGS”). Nelson’s stirring, beautiful artwork makes clear the terror and exhaustion Tubman felt during her own escape and also during her brave rescue of others. There’s no romanticism: the pictures are dark, dramatic, and deeply colored—whether showing the desperate young fugitive “crouched for days in a potato hole” or the tough middle-aged leader frowning at the band of runaways she’s trying to help. The full-page portrait of a contemplative Tubman turning to God to help her guide her people is especially striking. - Copyright 2006 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2006 Gr 2-5-Tubman's religious faith drives this handsome, poetic account of her escape to freedom and role in the Underground Railroad. The story begins with Tubman addressing God on a summer night as she is about to be sold south from the Maryland plantation where she and her husband live: "I am Your child, Lord; yet Master owns me,/drives me like a mule." In resounding bold text, God tells her He means for her to be free. The story is sketched between passages of prayerful dialogue that keep Tubman from giving up and eventually call upon her to be "the Moses of [her] people." Deep scenes of night fill many double pages as the dramatic paintings follow her tortuous journey, arrival in Philadelphia, and later trip to guide others. Shifting perspectives and subtle details, such as shadowy forest animals guarding her while she sleeps, underscore the narrative's spirituality. Whether filled with apprehension, determination, or serenity, Tubman's beautifully furrowed face is expressive and entrancing. A foreword briefly explains the practice of slavery and an appended note outlines Tubman's life. The words and pictures create a potent sense of the harsh life of slavery, the fearsome escape, and one woman's unwavering belief in God.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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