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Moses: When Harriet Tubman led her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson, ill. New York: Hyperion, 2006.  

ISBN: 978-0786851751

Annotation: This spiritual picture book tells the story of Harriet Tubman in three voices, the narrator (events), Harriet (her prayers and faith), and God (sending strength to continue). The story is told in lyrical text with typography delineating each of the three voices. There is also a comprehensive author’s note expanding on details of Harriet Tubman’s life as well as explanations about the formatting of the book. 

Media: oil paintings 

Themes of the Book: The themes of the book include freedom, justice, family, risk, courage, and hope. 

Aspects of the Artwork: Kadir Nelson views his work in Moses as his most emotional work to date. Each page is a two-page illustration with close-ups for dramatic and emotional effect. The illustrations are dark and moody addressing the topic of running away, the journey at night and the desperateness of the task. He was concerned about the darkness within a children’s book, so Kadir worked hard not to sugarcoat the experience but also to be mindful of the age of the audience and to strike a middle ground. He won the Caldecott honor for this book.

Metaphor: "God wraps her in the blanket of the night"

Symbolism:  A dark palette not only illustrates the night that Harriet travels in, but also the isolation, fear, and dangerous, desperate nature of the escape. The strength and determination is reflected by strong features and extreme close-ups. When Harriet is in the sunlight she is bathed in light symbolizing her closeness to God. The three voices set in different fonts and styles to visually symbolize the events of her life (narrator), herself (Harriet‘s questions and prayers to God), and God speaking to her.

Sophisticated Language:  The intertwining of 3 typographies representing voices of God, narrator and Moses raises the level of language sophistication. "Search for my face in theirs, and for my hands in their work."

Rhythm: The book is written in verse to read like an “African-American Exodus.” The three voices formatted in three different fonts, by tone, and varying rhythms help the flow of the story, and were designed to mimic the call-response traditional patterns of the black church.

Curricular Connections: 5-8th grades: US History, Slavery, Underground railroad, Courage, Faith 

Rating: 5Q/5P

RAC 7.27.09

Moses:  When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson, ill.  NY:  Jump at the Sun/Hyperion

     Books for Children, 2006.  ISBN 978-0786851715-1

An incredibly moving account of Harriet Tubman's spiritual journey, which gave her strength to repeatedly return to the South to rescue other slaves like herself.

Awards:  Caldecot Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

Illustraitons:  Oil paintings

Themes:  Slavery, Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, Faith

Curriculur Connection:  Useful for students learning about Slavery and the Underground Railroad

Literary Device:  Simile-There are several powerful examples of simile in this story including: "She recalls dreams where she flew like a bird" and "After seven days, Harriet rises from the hole like a sapling reaches for the sun as if to touch God's hand."

5Q/5P

"TOP TEN"

ggolden

7/13/09

Weatherford, C.B. (2006). Moses: when Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom (K. Nelson, Illus.). New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786851759 5Q/4P

Summary: The tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from South to North, with her faith guiding her to freedom. Would you be brave enough to run? Would you be brave enough to return and help others?

Media: Oil painting.

Awards: Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Caldecott Honor Book

Curricular connections: Grades 5-8. History: Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman.

Simile: “Master owns me, drives me like a mule.” The comparison of Harriet Tubman to a mule notes both the role of ownership of farmer to animal, and the way that mules are forced to perform hard labor.

Teacher: Katharine Miller

Subject: Social Studies

Grade Level: 6-8

Date: April 23, 2008

I. Content

I want my students to be able to understand the length and difficulty of Harriet Tubman’s travels on the Underground Railroad.

II. Prerequisites

Basic writing skills, group work skills, research skills.

III. Instructional Objective

The student will map the approximate route of Harriet Tubman, noting the mileage.

IV. Instructional Procedures

As a class, read the text of Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, and discuss the difficulty of traveling in secret with threats against your life. Discuss the limitations of traveling as a group.

Have students research the life of Harriet Tubman, focusing on the routes she followed on the Underground Railroad, and the distance of these routes. Students will produce maps of the route in four person groups. Students will note likely dangers along the route, as well as geographic complications.

V. Materials and Equipment

Copy of Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, paper, writing utensils, computer, research materials on Tubman, poster board, maps of United States with details of Maryland and surrounding States, markers, rulers.

VI. Assessment/Evaluation

Students will create a rough map of Harriet Tubman’s route with notes on possible dangers and difficulties along the route.

VII. Follow-up Activities

Students will research other persons involved in the Underground Railroad and key stops on the Railroad.

Lesson plan format borrowed from Dr. Bob Kizlik’s “Six Common Mistakes in Writing Lesson Plans,” http://www.adprima.com/mistakes.htm

KEM 4/29/08