Redcoats and Petticoats

by Katherine Kirkpatrick, Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Overview

The story of a spy ring on Long Island during the American Revolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823414161
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/01/1999
Edition description:	1 ED
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 10.32(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Katherine Kirkpatrick is the author of fiction and nonfiction books for young readers, all reflecting her fascination with history. These include The Snow Baby and Redcoats and Petticoats. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Ronald Himler has illustrated more than a hundred books for children, including several books in the Picture Book Biography series. He lives in Arizona.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3-6-It is 1778 and the Revolution has come to Setauket, Long Island. Thomas Strong, son of a loyal Patriot who has been imprisoned by the Tories, tells how he is sent to search for a neighbor's whaleboat and report the location to his mother. Unknown to him, Thomas's mother then hangs specific petticoats or handkerchiefs on the clothesline as a code to pass on the information to the Patriots across the Long Island Sound. It is only when the war is over and he meets General Washington that Thomas realizes just what part his family played in the Setauket Spy Ring. Historical picture books can bring the past alive in a simple and appealing manner, but when the history gets in the way of the story, or vice versa, problems occur. This book falls short on both accounts. There is not enough historical information to make the story clear and not enough story to personalize the facts. Only after carefully studying the map and historical notes at the end of the book does the plot become understandable. The text is just not cohesive and there are many "whys?" within the pages of this valiant but flawed effort. Himler's illustrations are a real plus. They help to clarify difficult passages and his pastel watercolors give a soft, personal touch to each event. For supplemental material, especially in New York State history classes, this might be helpful when thoroughly and properly introduced.-Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY

School Library Journal

Basing the book on true incidents and real people of the Revolutionary War, Kirkpatrick (Trouble's Daughter, 1998, etc.) recreates the actions of a Patriot spies begun by Robert Townsend and assisted by strong-willed, cool-headed Nancy Strong in the little town of Setauket, New York; Nancy used her clothesline and petticoats to signal the location, spotted by her son, of a whaleboat that would transport a vital letter about British battle plans directly to General George Washington. The complete spy ring route, which carried crucial information from British-occupied New York City to Patriot-held Connecticut, is depicted in a colorful map at the conclusion of the book; the detailed historical notes that follow will intrigue those interested in learning about the strong men and women who were instrumental in changing the nation's history. Himler's splendid watercolor paintings illustrate the danger involved in trying to foil the Loyalists and the daily threat of exposure that was faced by the Setauket spies. (map, sources) (Picture book. 5-9) .

Kirkus Reviews