Scan barcode
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Non-fiction - poetry
For 2nd grade and up
Longfellow's classic Revolutionary War poem, full of patriotism, rhyme and action, is accompanied by lush and atmospheric illustrations.
Lashings of history and patriotism are complimented by the moonlit and candlelit illustrations, and the rhythmic meter of the poem is echoed in the scenes showing Paul Revere riding across the colonial landscape. The illustrations do a magnificent job of bringing the world of the poem to life, from the ship with "a huge black bulk, that was magnified/ By its own reflection in the tide" to the close-up illustration of impatient horse and rider awaiting the signal lamps in the belfry. The perspectives are often refreshingly unusual and vary from page to page, as rectangles of text are imposed above the illustrations that take up every other inch of space. The rich midnight blues and splashes of light are only broken at the end, for a daylight battle scene and a final spread of Revere and his horse becoming the stuff of legend and riding through pinkish clouds into a night sky. Santore's note on his illustration process shows the research that went into many of the details; both poem and illustrations would compliment a study of the Revolutionary period for younger readers.
School Library Journal's review notes the match of content and style, saying "Each illustration conveys a tremendous sense of forward movement, not only from Revere's horse as he presses ever onward, but also from the body movements of the colonists as they rouse themselves for battle." It also points out that this version could be studied along with others, and "it should serve as a point of comparison, as a means of introducing young listeners to the many possibilities an artist faces when interpreting a classic piece of literature." Booklist's review compares this version to others, and notes that the "dynamic paintings seem barely contained within the edges of the pages" and "thrust the viewer right into the action."
For 2nd grade and up
Longfellow's classic Revolutionary War poem, full of patriotism, rhyme and action, is accompanied by lush and atmospheric illustrations.
Lashings of history and patriotism are complimented by the moonlit and candlelit illustrations, and the rhythmic meter of the poem is echoed in the scenes showing Paul Revere riding across the colonial landscape. The illustrations do a magnificent job of bringing the world of the poem to life, from the ship with "a huge black bulk, that was magnified/ By its own reflection in the tide" to the close-up illustration of impatient horse and rider awaiting the signal lamps in the belfry. The perspectives are often refreshingly unusual and vary from page to page, as rectangles of text are imposed above the illustrations that take up every other inch of space. The rich midnight blues and splashes of light are only broken at the end, for a daylight battle scene and a final spread of Revere and his horse becoming the stuff of legend and riding through pinkish clouds into a night sky. Santore's note on his illustration process shows the research that went into many of the details; both poem and illustrations would compliment a study of the Revolutionary period for younger readers.
School Library Journal's review notes the match of content and style, saying "Each illustration conveys a tremendous sense of forward movement, not only from Revere's horse as he presses ever onward, but also from the body movements of the colonists as they rouse themselves for battle." It also points out that this version could be studied along with others, and "it should serve as a point of comparison, as a means of introducing young listeners to the many possibilities an artist faces when interpreting a classic piece of literature." Booklist's review compares this version to others, and notes that the "dynamic paintings seem barely contained within the edges of the pages" and "thrust the viewer right into the action."
More...