Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

We know Harriet Tubman as the Moses of her people. The quintessential American hero, Tubman guided enslaved Africans along the Underground Railroad — a loose network of racially diverse helpers and top secret hideouts — from bondage of the South to freedom in North.

Yet little is known about Harriet's first trip. Born into slavery, how did she become free? What was her first trip North like? And what inspired her to make nineteen more trips escorting hundreds of slaves, including her own parents, to freedom? Never once getting caught. Never once losing a passenger.

In this elegy to Tubman, award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford and star illustrator Kadir Nelson imagine all of this and more.

Weatherford's poetic narrative and Kadir Nelson's magnificent paintings bear witness to an ecstatic event — the Spirit of God communing with the flesh-and-blood of true humanity. It is one of the most emotional, inspiring reading experiences ever.

"It is a stunning marriage of text and illustrations and a story that should inspire all." Children's Literature

"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." School Library Journal

"In elegant free verse, Weatherford imagines Tubman's remarkable escape from slavery and her role in guiding hundreds to freedom." Kirkus Reviews

Carole Boston Weatherford's first act as an author was at six years old, when she dictated a poem to her mother. Today, she is an award-winning author of nineteen books of poetry, nonfiction, and children's literature, including Walker & Company's The Sound That Jazz Makes, winner of the Carter G. Woodsen Award. As a writer, she wants to make sure that kids are always free to pursue their dream, just like Jesse. She resides in High Point, North Carolina, with her husband, Ronald, and their children, Caresse and Jeffery. Visit her Web site at www.caroleweatherford.com.