I am Harriet Tubman – Review & Blog Tour

Hi Everyone! I am super excited to host I am harriet tubman’s Blog Tour today. Thank you so much penguin young readers for inviting me to take part in reading, reviewing, and hosting a blog tour!

Synopsis from Penguin Young Readers:

Harriet Tubman’s heroic and pivotal role in the fight against slavery is the subject of the fourteenth picture book in this New York Times bestselling biography series

This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great–the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America’s icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero’s childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This volume focuses on Harriet Tubman’s brave heroism as part of the movement to abolish slavery. As one of the key players in the Underground Railroad, she helped enslaved African Americans escape and find freedom.

About: I am Harriet Tubman is a children’s non-fiction picture book written by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. It was published on 1/16/18 by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, hardcover, 40 pages. The genres are juvenile non-fiction, biography, and picture books. This book is intended for readers ages 5 to 8 and grades K to 3. According to Penguin’s website, “Dial publishes books for two through teen that aim to entertain, enrich, and encourage our readers. We care deeply about diversity and about artistic excellence. Established in 1961, Dial Books for Young Readers was an early pioneer of titles for the very young, including the first quality board books.” Please see below for more information about the author, illustrator, and publisher.

My Experience: I started reading I am Harriet Tubman on 2/3/18 as a story time for my 6 year-old son and we finished it that same day. This book is fantastic! I love introducing my son history, especially an important topic as someone taking action to make a difference. My son and I like the comic strips because it shows history in an interactive way. It feels real when it’s happening in front of you. I like Harriet illustrated as a little girl because kids can easily relate themselves to her, though her short hair makes my son think of her as a boy. I like that the author brings in the close relationships Harriet has with her mom and dad through stories and teachings.

In this book, readers will follow Harriet Tubman as she introduce herself and the concept of slavery. She talks in the first person point of view about how she and her family have been enslaved and about being born with little and not having a choice. There are comics style of conversation to show communications about how slaves are being bought and sold and how families are being separated through human transactions. The comics also shows the brutal ways the slaves are being treated by their masters. As the story move forward, Harriet express her feelings of dislike toward slavery. She made her first escape using the underground railroad to find freedom. After her success with finding freedom, she went back to rescue her families and friends. In the end, her positive actions are recognized by erecting statues and naming schools and parks after her.

This book is very well written. I like the positive encouragement at the end of the book about making hard decisions. I like the timeline of Harriet Tubman’s life. I love that my son get to see her real picture after the read. I like that the author added in the definition for the underground railroad and what being enslaved means. This book is great because it brings upon an important history topic and made it easier for kids to read and understand. Slavery is sad and it brings tears to my eyes as I read this story, but I am grateful that my son can see that changes can happen when someone take actions. This book is excellent and I highly recommend everyone to read it!

Pro: illustrations, Harriet Tubman, comic strips, underground railroad definition, background on slavery, taking action

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy it here for free shipping: Book Depository or Penguin Books

About the Author & Illustrator:

Brad Meltzer is the New York Times bestselling author of Heroes for My Son, Heroes for My Daughter, and a number of suspense novels like The House of Secrets. He is also the host of the History Channel television shows Brad Meltzer’s Decoded and Brad Meltzer’s Lost History. He lives in Florida with his wife and their three children. (Photo & Info provided by Penguin).

Christopher Eliopoulos began his illustration career at Marvel Comics, and has worked on thousands of comics, including Cosmic Commandos (Summer 2017), Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Pet Avengers, and Cow Boy, all of which he wrote and illustrated. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and their identical twin sons. (Photo & Info provided by Penguin, Book images obtained from Edelweiss).

Here are other books in the Ordinary People Change the World series:

More information about Dial Books for Young Readers

Website: http://www.penguin.com/publishers/dialbooksforyoungreaders | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dialbfyr

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Brad Meltzer and publisher Penguin Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review. I appreciate the invitation to host a blog tour for this book! Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine