A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman

June 1, 1992
Gr 2-4- -Basic facts and often-related incidents from Tubman's life are presented in brief vignettes. Adler includes a description of her as a slave child being whipped for stealing a lump of sugar; as a young woman receiving a serious head wound while intervening between a master and his runaway slave; as an escaped slave and conductor on the Underground Railroad; and a nurse and spy during the Civil War. The easy-to-read, but superficial narrative moves along with lively language suitable for reading aloud. Readers who want more in-depth information are on: their own; no sources for the many quotations or suggestions for further reading are included. The watercolor and colored-pencil artwork is uneven in quality. Many of the full-page, dark-toned, impressionistic paintings are excessively dark and unattractive; Tubman never looks the same in any two paintings. Smith's Harriet Tubman (Messner, 1989) is a more detailed biographical account. Ferris's Go Free or Die (Carolrhoda, 1988) is a good choice for older students. -Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elem . School, Urbana, IL