Freedom on the Sea: The True Story of the Civil War Hero Robert Smalls and His Daring Escape to Freedom

by Michael Boulware Moore, Bryan Collier (Illustrator)

Overview

This is the thrilling story of Robert Smalls and the Confederate ship that he used to liberate himself, his family, and over a dozen others from enslavement.

On the night of May 13th, 1862, as the Civil War raged on in the United States, 16 enslaved people decided they would reach freedom or die trying. Filled to the brim with suspense, this true story details how Robert Smalls commandeered a confederate ship through the Charleston harbor toward liberation at the Union blockade.

Experience both determination and triumph with this picture book written by Robert Small's great great grandson, Michael Boulware Moore, with illustrations by the award winning artist Bryan Collier.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250818355
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,113,346
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michael Boulware Moore is currently the democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in South Carolina's 1st district running for the seat his great-great grandfather once held. He was the founding president of the International African American Museum and performs as a keynote speaker at universities, conferences, museums, and other organizations all across the nation telling the story of his great-great grandfather. Michael is well known as a profound business man, and Freedom on the Sea is his first children's book.

Bryan Collier is the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner of numerous children's books, including Rosa and Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When he's not painting, he spends his time visiting schools and encouraging young artists and readers. Collier lives in New York with his wife and daughters.
bryancollier.com

Editorial Reviews

03/04/2024

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. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"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."—Booklist, starred review

"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."—Publisher's Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 2024-02-17
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)

Kirkus Reviews