MOSES

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Boston Weatherford, Carole. 2006. MOSES WHEN HARRIET TUBMAN LED HER PEOPLE TO FREEDOM. Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, New York.Illustrator: Kadir Nelson ISBN 13: 978-078685175-92.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman dreamed for a life free from slavery. Believing and trusting in God she decides to escape slavery one night by leaving her husband and family behind to find freedom in Philadelphia. Later she risked her life by making nineteen subsequent trips back south to lead her family and many others to safety.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Moses is a beautiful and inspiring book. The three distinct typefaces, represent the three voices, which are the narrator, Harriet Tubman and of God, who sends her guidance. Even though it is a fictional account of Harriet Tubman’s spiritual and physical escape from slavery to freedom, she is truly a real life hero. Carole Boston Weatherford includes an outstanding foreword explaining the practice of slavery and also an author’s note describing further details of Harriet’s life, which adds to the understanding of the story. She writes about the dangerous journey Tubman makes by using poetic conversation between Tubman and God, which is easy to read.

The illustrations, by Kadir Nelson, are just amazing as some of the printed text mirrored the shape of a rushing stream. The emotional expressions on Harriet’s face reflected both joy and despair that she experienced throughout her life. The joy reflected her love, devotion to God, and her triumph. The despair reflected her fear, anger, and hurtful events as she struggles to continue her journey. Every single page is filled with dark, colorful, and spiritual illustrations that draw your attention to what was important in Harriet’s life. It also draws the attention of the reader to imagine and understand the depth of Harriet’s faith.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*Horn Book starred (Spring 2007)Weatherford’s poetic telling and Nelson’s atmospheric painting of Tubman’s role in the Underground Railroad portray the spiritual like of the African American visionary.
*Library Media Connection (January 2007)This is a moving story of the beliefs that sustained Tubman as she worked to gain freedom for herself and others.

5. CONNECTIONS:
More titles about Harriet Tubman:
*Adler, David. A PICTURE BOOK OF HARRIET TUBMAN. ISBN 978082340926
*Ferris, Jeri. GO FREE OR DIE: A STORY ABOUT HARRIET TUBMAN.
ISBN13: 978-0-87614-317-9
Mara, Wil. HARRIET TUBMAN. ISBN 13: 978-0-516-22521-0
*Skelton, Renee.HARRIET TUBMAN: A WOMAN OF COURAGE.ISBN 9780060576080
*Stein, Conrad R. ESCAPING SLAVERY ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
ISBN 13: 978-0-7660-2799-2
*Students may create a map of Harriet Tubman’s journey to freedom.
*Students may write a response to the story.