Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom
By Matt Berman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Beautiful picture book bio shows Tubman rooted in faith.
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What's the Story?
Set in the mid-19th century, MOSES: WHEN HARRIET TUBMAN LED HER PEOPLE TO FREEDOM follows Harriet Tubman's escape from enslavement. Enduring hardship but demonstrating courage and perseverance, Harriet is sustained by her belief in a protective God who wants her to survive. Her strong moral and spiritual compass leads her to return to the South to free her family, and then help more than 300 people escape to freedom by way of the Underground Railroad. Although this is a fictionalized account, Moses includes a foreword about slavery and an author's note about Harriet's life.
Is It Any Good?
Two attention-grabbing elements set this fantastic story of Tubman apart from others. The first is the spiritual focus of Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Rather than retelling known events of Tubman's life, this picture book is a fictionalized account of her communication with God along her journey. The book's text consists primarily of swirling, lyrical conversations she has with God before, during, and after her flight. She hears God's voice in the breeze and songs of birds and sees God's face reflected in moonlight on swamp water. God clearly tells her that enslavement is wrong, she is right to escape it, and that she should help others do the same.
The second special element is the book's artwork: a series of two-page, borderless paintings that are nothing short of spectacular. Clear, vivid, and bathed in light, they enhance the relationship Harriet has with God and add a powerful emotional expressiveness to the book. Harriet's face is prominently featured on almost every page, showing her courage and strength even in the midst of terrible hardship and danger. Combined with the poetic text, these images create a musical quality that turns this oft-told historical tale into something more: a testament to Harriet's own heart and senses, as well as her mind.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about slavery, the main topic of Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. What was it, and why was it practiced in the United States?
How did Harriet's spiritual faith give her the courage to do what she did? What other sources of strength do people draw from in the face of danger?
How does Harriet demonstrate character strengths like courage and perseverance on her journey to freedom? How does she show compassion by helping with the Underground Railroad?
Book Details
- Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
- Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
- Genre: Biography
- Topics: Activism, Great Girl Role Models, History
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Courage, Perseverance
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Jump at the Sun
- Publication date: September 1, 2006
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 7
- Number of pages: 41
- Awards: ALA Best and Notable Books, Caldecott Medal and Honors, Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
- Last updated: March 10, 2023
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