Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young
Frederick Douglass. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. New York, NY: Simon and
Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9781416959038. $16.99. Ages 5-9.
It is
never too early for a child to start learning history and about the past that
has helped to shape our nation and make it what it is today. Words Set Me Free
is a picture book adaptation of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,
an influential book everybody should read at some point in their life. This picture book
is a great way to educate and inspire an early interest in reading the full
book.
As far as picture books go, Words Set Me Free is rather wordy
and lengthy, and is a book that beginning readers should probably read
alongside an adult, so that they can be sure to be able to understand all of
the text, and be able to discuss the issues the book addresses. This book could
never be taken as light reading. The author is not overly graphic when
discussing the hardships of being a slave, but she also does not mince words,
nor hide the fact that life was cruel for Frederick.
The illustrations, done as very realistic paintings, also
portray the truth of the subject matter without being too explicit or scary.
For example, in one part of the book, Frederick’s master finds out that his
wife is teaching Frederick his letters and becomes very angry. Instead of
depicting Frederick being punished by his master, the illustrator painted a
silhouette of the master in an angry pose, with a scared young Frederick cowering
below. This way, the master’s disapproval and Frederick’s fear are portrayed,
but with subtlety.
One thing I find interesting is how the author chooses to
end the book. Obviously, this picture book only portrays a snippet of the actual
events detailed in the full Narrative, but the book ends with an epilogue where
Frederick forges a letter in his master’s name that seemingly will win him his
freedom. But when you read the author’s note on the next page, you realize that
it is much later on in his life that Frederick actually becomes free. I suppose
it could just be that the author simply did not wish to prolong the story, but
still wanted to end the book optimistically.
Other than introducing American history, I think that the
best themes of this book are about perseverance and the power of words and
reading and how they can change your life. For children who do not really enjoy
books, that is a powerful lesson in the importance of reading and of not giving
up.
Joyce Myers
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