Let It Begin Here!: Lexington & Concord: First Battles of the American Revolution

by Dennis Brindell Fradin, Larry Day (Illustrator)

Overview

Told in a step-by-step account of the 24 hours leading up to the battles that sparked the American revolution, this picture book is sure to both inform and entertain.

On April 18th at 9:30 p.m. Paul Revere learned that the British Army was marching toward Lexington and Concord to arrest rebel leaders. At 5:20 the next morning, a shot rang out and the American Revolution had begun. In less than 24 hours a rebellious colony would be changed forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802797117
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	03/17/2009
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	299,435
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Dennis Brindell Fradin is the author of The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence, which won numerous awards, including an ALA Notable, an ABC Choice Award, and an IRA Teacher's Choice Award. Dennis lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife, Judith.

Larry Day has illustrated several picture books while working in the advertising industry, creating storyboards for clients like McDonalds and the U.S. Army. His illustrations have appeared in the Chicago Tribune Magazine and in several exhibits, including his own shows. Larry lives in Downers Grove, IL.

Recipe

In less than 24 hours a rebellious colony would be changed forever.

April 18, 1775

9:30 P.M. Paul Revere learns that the British army is marching to Lexington and Concord to arrest rebel leaders and destroy American military supplies.

11:00 P.M. Revere begins his famous midnight ride to warn his fellow patriots about the British plans.

April 19, 1775

12:00 A.M. Revere reaches Lexington and warns rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British are coming. They escape and rouse the town's militia.

1:00 A.M. Revere is captured by the British, but a fellow patriot continues on to warn the sleeping village of Concord.

5:00 A.M. An advance lookout for the Lexington militia spots the approaching British army and shouts a warning.

5:20 A.M. Most of the 70 Lexington militiamen, outgunned by the military might of the 250 British regulars, decide to back down. But a few men stand their ground, including Jonas Parker, a grandfather who has vowed never to flee the British.

Suddenly, a shot rings out.

Dennis Brindell Fradin is the author of The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence, which won numerous awards, including being named an ALA Notable, an American Booksellers for Children's Choice, and an International Reading Association Teachers' Choice. The New York Times Book Review called it "fascinating for young historians and just about anyone else."

Dennis lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife, Judith.

Larry Day has illustrated several picture books while working in theadvertising industry, creating storyboards for such clients as McDonalds and the U.S. Army. His illustrations have appeared in the Chicago Tribune Magazine and in several exhibits, including his own shows.

Larry lives in Downers Grove, Illinois, with his wife, Melanie, and their two sons, Andrew and Peter.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 4-Although brief, this book contains an informative description of the opening shots of the American Revolution. It starts with a who's who identifying the major players and a short introduction that provides some historical context. An hour-by-hour account of the events of April 18 and 19, 1775, follows, beginning with Paul Revere's ride to warn Samuel Adams (pictured in a fetching nightshirt and cap) and John Hancock in Lexington, as well as the patriots in Concord, that the British are on the move. Fradin presents quick summaries of the two battles, highlighting a few interesting facts and individuals in the exciting narrative. Vivid two-page watercolor, gouache, and pen-and-ink illustrations, reminiscent of Robert Andrew Parker's style, dramatize the events. Text blocks are carefully placed both for legibility and design. A map on the front endpapers shows a free rendering of the Boston area; one in the back places Massachusetts within the 13 colonies. A compelling cover, featuring determined-looking patriots holding muskets, will entice youngsters to pick up this book, and its appealing format makes it appropriate for reading aloud. Stephen Krensky's Paul Revere's Midnight Ride (HarperCollins, 2002) has a similar look and tone, but a different focus. Neil Johnson's The Battle of Lexington and Concord (Four Winds, 1992) provides more detail and is illustrated with reenactor photographs.-Elaine Fort Weischedel, Milton Public Library, MA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Fradin sandwiches a present-tense, practically hour-by-hour account of the confrontations at Lexington and Concord between an introductory cast list and a closing "whatever happened to them" feature. Day's sketchy watercolors capture much of the historical detail but all of the melodrama. Scenes include a lone drummer on Lexington Green rapping out a call to arms, determined-looking Patriots (including the slave, Prince Estabrook) taking on lines of faceless redcoats, Jonathan Harrington dying in his doorway before his horrified wife and son, and like iconic incidents between Paul Revere's nighttime dispatch and a view of the defeated British straggling into Boston. Backed by a closing overview of the Revolution's course and multi-level reading lists, this makes a rousing introduction to the war's opening events. Pair it with the equally stirring likes of Stephen Krensky's Dangerous Crossing: The Revolutionary Voyage of John Quincy Adams (p. 53). (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews