Blog for Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson, Scholastic Press, 2004.
Again, I will read your original blog later, after I have put in my initial reactions to this historical fiction picture book.
I think this is fictional - but only in so far as the author seemed to have added dialogue and simplified things to such a point that it can not really be called biographical. Can it? Yes, I just read the back page, and while it says Biography in bigger letters, later down the page it says"fictionalized account.
Be that as it may - what wit and illustration! The wit can be found in such lines as "Henry nodded but he didn't say thank you. That would have been a lie." after his first master admonishes him to never tell a lie to his new masters. Another line: "I am mail, thought Henry, but not the kind they imagine!"as he hides in a box being mailed to Philadelphia.
But the most riveting scene, I think is the one where all you see is Henry's face, close up with the cross-hatching finely drawn to show care and worry lines, and it only says "Henry worked hard all morning, he tried to forget what Nancy said" I can definitely picture a class discussion on what is said here as well as what can be inferred, and how it is human nature to try to hide from fears that you can not control.
I also thought the illustrations of Henry in the box, especially the first one were extremely effective.
As far as the book's quality: I would say that while it does not give much beyond the basic story of Henry's life up to the point of freedom, and it leaves so much open as far as background history, it still vividly portrays the inhuman ways that these men and women were treated. I think this book would have to be used in conjunction with other picture books that deal with this period. I would imagine that young children just getting an introduction in the history of slavery in this country would need to have more information.
Liz
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Followers
Blog Archive
-
▼
2009
(12)
-
▼
November
(6)
- Woolvs in the Sitee by Margaret Wild and Anne Soud...
- For Now & Ben, the modern inventions of Benjamin F...
- Blog for Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and K...
- Blog for Survivors: True Stories of Children in th...
- A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson, Hought...
- Autobiography of my dead brother by Walter Dean My...
-
▼
November
(6)
In response to Marilyn's original blog on Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson, Scholastic Press, 2004.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some excellent points as far as the illustration go. I wonder why Nelson put a completely black background for the two scenes where they are getting Henry ready to be shipped out. The double page spread where the hand writes To William Johnson is such a contrast stuck in between these two very dark pages. Perhaps it is to alert the reader that this is a momentous undertaking. As you brought up, a class could consider whether mailing yourself is a safe option. It certainly highlights how desperate his case was after he lost his wife and children. Another effective use of color, I thought, was the blue sky when he has his mother; we do not see that blue sky again until he is in the box, and two pages later, when he is on the boat on his way to freedom.
I thought the questions you suggested would be great for an elementary classroom.While this would not be a book I could use, I can definitely see it as an essential historical fiction book to be used in conjunction with other informational text in the lower grades.
Liz
Camel Mom said...
ReplyDeleteBlog for, Henry's Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, Scholastic 2007
This picture book is based on the life of former slave Henry "Box" Brown and how, after a experiencing years of heartache living as a slave with his mother he is taken from her only to experiences heartache again when his family is sold while he is at work never to be reunited with them again.
Although Henry's story is compelling, the illustrations bring Henry and his experiences as a slave to life for the reader. Kadir captivates readers by using both warm and cool colors to capture the emotions that the characters feel throughout the story. Kadir uses cool greens and blues along with bright colors like red to show Henry's excitement when he meets his soon to be wife Nancy. He also uses soft pencil stokes and warm colors again in the illustration where Henry and his family are sitting in front of the soft orange fire glow while Henry plays his bango as his family sits and listens happily. Kadir's images get bolder in strokes and color, especially in the illustration when Henry watches as his family is being taken away. Although Henry's image is small the reader can still see the shock in Henry's face as his son in the foreground of the image on the next page looks back. You can almost hear his son's voice calling out to Henry.
Kadir also does an excellent job on his illustrations of Henry in the box on his way to freedom. With each new picture, you can feel how cramped it is for Henry and the movements as he his being tossed and turned by the men who use the box as a seat.
This is an excellent book for both History and Language Arts teachers to use with their classes. It lends itself to critcal thinking questions before reading like: What does it means to be free? as well as tapping into a students prior knowledge of slavery and what they know about it.
Post reading questions could include Do you think it was wise for Henry to mail himself? or Why did the doctor want to help Henry? How did Henry know he could trust him?
Overall I think this is an excellent way to engage students and teach them about some of the hardships experienced by the slaves in the south during the time of slavery.
November 1, 2009 7:50 PM
I think what attracted me to this book were the illustrations. I agree with you in that, I'm not sure it would fall into the biography genre.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed that little bit of sarcasm when Henry nodded after being told never to lie. In addition to calling himself mail which by all accounts he is correct! He is mail, probably just not the kind of mail the postal service was accustomed to getting during that period in our history.
You are correct when you say that this book doesn't give any more than a brief account of Henry's life. I would have like to have know more about him. What happened after he arrived in Philadelphia. Did the men who helped Henry escape also help him with housing, a job, money so that he could begin his new life as a free man?
This is clearly a book that needs to be used to help teach about some of the topics revolving around slavery and the Underground Railroad. I don't get the sense that it can be the only book a teacher should use, but one in a collection of many that revolve around the theme of slavery and some of the things slaves had to do in order to be free.