Synopses & Reviews
When Granny Judith asks twelve-year-old Christmas John to row Molly, cooks daughter, across the river from Kentucky to the Free State of Ohio, hes terrified. Bravely, he begins the first of many journeys. Each time he returns, Granny Judith asks what color clothing his passenger wore, for shes had a dream-vision and is making a quilt from squares of these “freedom colors.” When there are only two squares left, she tells him, “Dream says we got to get ourselves over the river, cause the dangers gonna grow awful.”
This compelling story, powerfully and poignantly illustrated, is a memorable celebration of courage, hope, and unselfish love. Night Boat to Freedom is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Review
"A powerful new picture book. Watercolor paintings . . . match the mood and theme." --The Chicago Sun-Times "Words and pictures work perfectly together, making sound from silence and light from darkness." --Starred, Booklist "Lewis's watercolors beautifully capture the loving relationship between Granny Judith and Christmas John. Handsome and affecting." --Kirkus Reviews "A rich story for adults and children to share." --School Library Journal "The runaways' success is joyfully triumphant, but perhaps the most moving aspect of the work is Lewis's watercolor paintings, which skillfully manipulate light and shadow to create two parallel worlds." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
“A powerful new picture book. Watercolor paintings . . . match the mood and theme.”—The Chicago Sun-Times “Words and pictures work perfectly together, making sound from silence and light from darkness.”—Booklist, Starred Review “Lewiss watercolors beautifully capture the loving relationship between Granny Judith and Christmas John. . . . Handsome and affecting.”—Kirkus Reviews “A rich story for adults and children to share.”—School Library Journal “The runaways success is joyfully triumphant, but perhaps the most moving aspect of the work is Lewiss watercolor paintings, which skillfully manipulate light and shadow to create two parallel worlds.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books
Synopsis
This compelling story, powerfully and poignantly illustrated, is a memorable celebration of courage, hope, and unselfish love.
Synopsis
What scares the head is best done with the heart.When Granny Judith asks twelve-year-old Christmas John to row Molly across the river from Kentucky to the Free State of Ohio, hes terrified. But Granny Judith reassures him. So Christmas John begins the first of many dangerous journeys. And each passing day brings hope that Granny and John can find their own freedom, just across the river. Night Boat to Freedom is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
About the Author
Margot Raven and E. B. Lewis collaborated on Circle Unbroken (available in paperback from Square Fish), a Booklist Top 10 Black History Book for Youth. The author lives in Charleston, South Carolina; the artist, a Caldecott Honor Medalist, lives in Folsom, New Jersey.