Walking Home to Rosie Lee

June 6, 2011
Set at the end of the Civil War, this account of a freed slave boy's search for his mother is distinguished by a vivid narrative voice and page-turning suspense. Gabe describes the plans of the freed slaves he meets, but his only desire is to find his mother, Rosie Lee, who made pie so good that birds "flew out of the sky to have them a taste," and who wears a scarf "to hide the scar from being dragged for trying to run free." False hopes and disappointments build momentum before a rewarding conclusion brings mother and son together. Debut illustrator Shepherd contributes big, dramatic spreads, thickly painted and filled with the blues of night and the yellow light of fires and lanterns. In her first picture book, novelist LaFaye (The Keening) offers a vision of a compassionate population of freed slaves who offer food and succor to Gabe, who, in turn, recognizes that he's not the only one suffering: "That night, I slept snuggled up tight with my mama, praying for all those boys like me searching for their
mamas who be searching for them." Ages 7â10.

June 15, 2011

A Southern novelist looks to the Civil War's immediate aftermath in this newly free child's account of a weary search for his mother.

"War's over. Government say we free. Folks be on the move. Getting the feel for freedom. Not me." He joins the large number of ex-slaves who, "all hope and hurry on," have hit the road in search of brighter futures, but young Gabe has a different goal: tracking down his sold-away and only living parent Rosie Lee. Keeping his goal before him like the fixed North Star, he travels for months from Mobile to the "worn-down toes of the Appalachian Mountains," following vague leads from sympathetic listeners and offices of the Freedman's Bureau, enduring hardships and disappointment. Applying paint in thickly brushed impasto, Shepherd views Gabe's world and encounters from a child's-eye height but gives the barefoot, raggedly clad boy a look of hard-won maturity that points to past sorrows and underscores the depth of his determination. His distinct voice will draw readers into caring about his quest and sharing the tide of joy that accompanies his ultimate success: "That night, I slept snuggled up tight with my mama, praying for all those boys like me searching for their mamas who be searching for them."

A deeply felt narrative, distilled from contemporary reports and documents. (afterword) (Picture book. 7-9)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011

Gr 2-5-Narrated by an African-American boy recently freed from slavery, this moving tale recounts the heartbreaking struggle of those looking to reconnect with family members after the Civil War. Gabe has only the tips of his fellow northward-bound travelers and the sadly overburdened Freedmen's Bureau for assistance in tracking down his mama. He follows one lead after another without success, and readers will wonder whether he will ever find her. They will not be disappointed. Gabe's tale concludes with a prayer that all the other sons and mothers find one another as well. LaFaye crafts a convincing voice for Gabe, conveying a sense of world-weary pragmatism in his sometimes clipped sentences. The book also has a beautiful lyricism that will make for an impressive read-aloud. "I stumbled off down the road, crying for the Rosie I couldn't find. Not in Jasper, not in Chattanooga, not in any other place the rumors of a fine-cooking Rosie took me. Had me thinner than a leaf with the sorrow of it...." Shepherd's richly hued paintings echo both the burden of Gabe's sad journey and the sense of connection he finds with the other travelers he encounters, often shown united by a comforting physical gesture. Though LaFaye's tale about the lingering effects of slavery on families is sobering, this work will be useful in creating context for historical units. The well-crafted narrative and the artist's thoughtful imagery make it a powerful choice.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2011
Grades 2-4 Even though the Civil War is over, young Gabe knows he will not feel truly free until he finds his mama, Rosie Lee, who was sold and sent away. Spare, rhythmic prose and richly hued acrylic paintings outlined in thick black show Gabe on the road dreaming of finding Mama, surrounded by crowds of newly freed slaves, singing songs telling stories and dreamtalking of the lives they're gonna live in freedom. He finds false leads and hostility, kindness and hope. Finally, through a church, he reaches Mama, and the story's climax is their heartbreaking embrace. One of the few titles to describe the cruel breakup of family under slavery from a small child's viewpoint, this honest story also makes clear the anguish of the many loved ones who were lost and never found.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)