Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom
Bound by slavery, young Henry Brown and his seven siblings performed grueling plantation labor. Moved and abused at the whim of masters and vicious overseers, Henry eventually married, but was soon separated from his wife and children. He struggled to pay the price of their ownership, but they are moved out of state in a slave chain pass. Having lost all that is dear, he received an inspiration for escape as an answer to prayer, and hired a carpenter to build a shipping box just big enough to hold him. His two day trip by wagon, train, steamer, and cart to Philadelphia ended in freedom, but despite selling his book and song lyrics at abolitionist gatherings, the challenge of reuniting with his family remained insurmountable. Henry continued to share his story in a reenactment for anti-slavery audiences, and evaded bounty hunters by sailing to England, where he developed a new one-man show. There he remarried and had a daughter. This remarkable poetic account of devastation, resilience, ingenuity, and perseverance is told in six line stanzas, with each line representing one side of a box, and draws on Henry Brown’s own writings. Masterful mixed media illustrations achieve the artist’s goal of expressing suffering and hope while maintaining dignity and integrity. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Michele Wood
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 10 and older
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Formats:
Poetry
Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects:
19th Century
African Americans
Agency
Biography
Grief and Loss
Perseverance
Resiliency
Slavery
U.S. History
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Christian
Publisher:
Candlewick
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 56
ISBN: 9780763691561
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 306 Weatherford