Freedom on the Sea

Starred review from February 15, 2024
Preschool-Grade 3 *Starred Review* In 1862, Robert Smalls was a young enslaved man living in Charleston, South Carolina, and working aboard a Confederate naval ship, which he often piloted for the captain. Skilled at his job, he received a percentage of his earnings and hoped to buy his family's freedom, but it could take decades. Knowing that the captain, officers, and white crew members often spent the night in town, Smalls planned a daring escape for his family and those of other enslaved men on board. Disguising himself to look and sound like the captain, Smalls called out the proper code at each Confederate fort they passed, steered the ship to pick up the wives and children, and, sailing out of Charleston Harbor, raised a white flag, surrendering the vessel to the U.S. Navy. This picture-book retelling of his courageous escape from slavery is particularly good for a young audience. The story is presented with a sense of drama while filling in background information for kids. Blue hues subtly enhance the shades of brown in Collier's illustrations. Using deep, contrasting colors and subtle textures, the striking paintings are particularly effective in the dimly lit scenes indoors and on the water at night. A handsome, historical picture book.

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March 15, 2024
Moore pays tribute to his great-great-grandfather's courage and determination to be free. When Robert Smalls was 12, he moved 70 miles from Beaufort to Charleston, South Carolina. America's richest city at the time, Charleston built its wealth on the backs of enslaved people. Still enslaved but living semi-independently, Robert took advantage of the locale to learn to sail. When the Civil War began in 1861, Robert, now in his early 20s, married a woman named Hannah and had two children, Robert Jr. and Elizabeth. Hannah and the children belonged to slave master Samuel Kingman. When Robert asked Kingman if he could buy his family, Kingman agreed, and Robert put down a $100 deposit against the $800 total. Afterward, Robert had a better idea. With the help of other Black sailors, he commandeered a Confederate steamer while the white crew were ashore. With several other enslaved people and his family, he escaped to freedom. In an author's note, Moore explains that Smalls later served in Congress; Moore is now seeking the same seat his ancestor held. He deftly retells this historical story, heightening the suspense and emphasizing Smalls' tenacity, while Collier's rich collage illustrations set the scene. Images of silhouetted faces in the sky make clear that the next generations of Black children are watching and waiting; freedom will make their existence possible. A moving tale of triumph that brings the past to life. (Picture-book biography. 8-10)

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March 4, 2024
Debut author Boulware Moore recounts the true story of his great-great-grandfather, U.S. politician Robert Smalls (1839–1915), who freed 16 enslaved individuals—including himself, his crew, and their families—during the Civil War. Beginning with Smalls’s arrival from Beaufort to Charleston, South Carolina as an enslaved 12-year-old, engrossing text focuses on the figure’s skill with boats, his close-knit family’s life together, and the troubling truth that “being enslaved meant that any one of them could be sold away at any time.” Atmospheric collage-style imagery from Collier (Maya’s Song) transports readers to the time period as Smalls becomes a wheelman on a side-wheel steamer, the Planter, and, after the Civil War’s start, seeks liberation for his family. Knowing that it will take him years to amass the fee to purchase their freedom, Smalls hatches a plan to use the Planter—now transformed into a Confederate military boat transporting troops and equipment around South Carolina waterways—to sail to a Union warship blockade, and to freedom. A nail-biting sequence of events, portrayed in images that marry landscape and portraiture, accompany Smalls on his extraordinary journey in this affecting historical telling. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from September 20, 2024

Gr 1-4-This book authentically recounts the story of the author's great-great-grandfather, Robert Smalls. From a young age, Smalls worked on ships in Charleston, SC. As an enslaved person, he lived with his wife and two children above the Mill House Hotel, where his wife worked and he dreamed of making enough money to buy freedom for himself and his family. But an opportunity arose for another way to escape slavery. With the Civil War breaking out, he planned to steal the ship he was working on, the Planter, sailing the Confederate ship through the Union blockade to freedom. With the help of 16 enslaved people, including his family, he daringly passed through several Confederate forts without being stopped and bravely flew the surrender flag when he approached the Union Blockade. Because of his efforts, all 16 people were set free. The collage illustrations are a perfect pairing for this courageous story. The author adds veracity with a letter to readers, sharing about his connection to the book. VERDICT A genuine account of an enslaved person daringly achieving a better life. Highly recommended for elementary school libraries.-Nancy Hawkins

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
During the Civil War, an enslaved man plans a daring escape. Robert Smalls steers a Confederate ship through Charleston Harbor with his wife, their children, and twelve other enslaved people on board. Their mission, to reach a Union blockade just beyond the harbor, was a "life-or-death voyage." Moore builds the drama and suspense in the story of his great-grandfather's escape (contextualized in an author's note) with careful pacing, and the dangerous journey comes to life through beautiful, collage-style illustrations that capture the escapees' emotions.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)