Open the Door to Liberty

Starred review from March 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-Toussaint, born a slave in the French colony of St. Domingue, led the first successful slave uprising in the Americas in 1793, defeating first the French and then the British and American opportunists who hoped to take advantage of the new country. The Haitian revolution is put in context with those in America and France, and its significance is made clear as Rockwell connects Napoleon's defeat in Haiti with his willingness to sell French Louisiana to the United States. Christie's bold, naive gouache illustrations invoke Haiti's beauty and savage history. The scene of Toussaint preventing a fellow revolutionary from unnecessarily killing a white man and the rendering of the bleak French prison in which the hero died are particularly striking. Altogether, this is a beautiful and captivating portrait of a leader whose story will probably be unfamiliar to most youngsters. Written for an older audience than Walter Dean Myers's Toussaint L'Ouverture: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom (S & S, 1996), it is a welcome addition to biography and history collections.Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NM

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 In this eye-opening biography, Rockwell makes a strong case that Toussaint LOuverture is one of the most overlooked heroes of the eighteenth century. A freed slave of the French colony of St. Domingue (what we now know as Haiti), LOuverture was 48 when he was so inspired by his peoples uprising against the French that he joined them and, through his oratory and strategical skills, became their leader. In 1793, he led historys first triumphant slave rebellion, but the resulting freedom would not last long. Eight years later, Napoleon sent troops to capture the island; the acumen ofSt. Domingues army, combined with the onset of yellow fever, decimated the French troops before LOuvertures eventualand mysterioussurrender.Rockwell biggest revelation: Napoleons onslaught was meant as a precursor to attacking the U.S.; instead, it ended the generals career andled tothe Louisiana Purchase.Evocative paintings in primary colors help tell the story (the rendition of Toussaint in prison is especially poignant), while biographies and source notes make up the excellent back matter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)