Brick by Brick
Inspiring tale of enslaved workers building the White House.
Parents say
Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Brick by Brick tells the often forgotten story that enslaved workers built the White House. There's discussion of forced labor, the difficulty of life as an enslaved person, and the raw emotions at play during this period of American history. Children will have questions about the institution of slavery and how it conflicts with the founding principles of this country. Parents should be prepared to offer age-appropriate details.
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What's the Story?
In 1792, a young country still recovering from the Revolutionary War cannot find enough laborers to build its new seat of power. It turns to society's bottom rung, its enslaved people, to complete the task. Craftspeople teach them trades such as carpentry and cabinet making -- skills these workers can use to earn money to buy their freedom. While stirring emotions about the institution of slavery, BRICK BY BRICK also points to slavery's role in America's economy at that time.
Is It Any Good?
Brick by Brick is an inspiring story of perseverance, heartache, and hope told in simple, rhythmic, rhyming verse that echoes the Negro spirituals of the era. Author Charles R. Smith Jr. exposes the heartache and irony of a society that compels one group into forced labor while honing its founding ideals of freedom.
Floyd Cooper's evocative oil-wash paintings in a mostly brown-and-white palette have an emotional richness that draws readers of all ages into the story and offers plenty of opportunity for discussion. The book wisely focuses on this history of enslaved Black people as a part of the creation of America rather than as a separate history. The enslaved workers' struggles, pain, and oppression are an American tale of struggle, pain, and oppression.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Have you ever seen movies or read other books about slavery? How do the movie versions compare with written accounts?
What can you learn from the pictures in the book? Can you imagine how the laborers felt?
How do you feel after learning that enslaved Black workers built the White House, where eventually a Black president would live? What does that say about our country?
Book Details
- Author: Charles R. Smith Jr.
- Illustrator: Floyd Cooper
- Genre: History
- Topics: Great Boy Role Models, History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Amistad
- Publication date: December 26, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: July 27, 2021
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Copper Sun
Raw, well-researched story of young enslaved girl.
For kids who love history and African American books
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