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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
Easy read aloud about slavery that celebrates the one afternoon off New Orleans slaves received to congregate with friends in Congo Square. Real history (as noted in the foreword and author's note at the end) for children, a few new vocabulary words for little ones, and bright, bold pictures.
Poetic text takes readers through the days of the week and the tasks that need to be done mirrored by a countdown to Sunday, a day of rest, spent in Congo Square.
A foreword, glossary, and author's note give readers the necessary background information to get the most out of this text.
Mixed media artwork is haunting and really helps reveal the emotions tied to the time spent in Congo Square as evidenced by the vibrant colors and the expressive body movement of the gatherers (i.e. arms extended, leaping legs as if dancing etc).
Highly recommended read aloud for 2-4+.
A foreword, glossary, and author's note give readers the necessary background information to get the most out of this text.
Mixed media artwork is haunting and really helps reveal the emotions tied to the time spent in Congo Square as evidenced by the vibrant colors and the expressive body movement of the gatherers (i.e. arms extended, leaping legs as if dancing etc).
Highly recommended read aloud for 2-4+.
This is an extremely interesting and informative picture book. I didn't know anything about Congo Square, and I loved learning a little bit about it and its importance both in the lives of slaves and free black people, but also in the development of Jazz music. I've always wanted to go to New Orleans, and now Congo Square is tops on my list of places to see.
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
This is a beautifully illustrated book that touches on the horrors of slavery and the joy found in the enslaved peoples afternoons off in Congo Square.
My family and I appreciate the gravity of a picture book with this subject matter. But it's great that it's centered on a small moment/space of liberty in lives that are anything but free.
Before Louisiana was a part of the United States there was a law that set aside Sundays as a day of rest for everyone, even slaves. Slaves were allowed to gather together on this free day and Congo Square became the place to celebrate their customs, play music, dance and build a community. This book celebrates everything that Congo Square historically and continues to represent-freedom.
Beautiful illustrations with a very informative forward and authors note at the end. The text itself has a rhythm that builds in your mind even if you read it to yourself. It feels like this one got it right.
Beautiful illustrations with a very informative forward and authors note at the end. The text itself has a rhythm that builds in your mind even if you read it to yourself. It feels like this one got it right.
A wonderfully well written story about slavery in the United States. The book focus' on the week long wait that all slaves dealt with before they are granted an afternoon away from their work, when they can congregate in Congo Square, New Orleans. The book is extremely well written and thought out. It succeeds in painting a very real picture of the mundane lives that slaves lived all well providing young readers with text that will engage them and further their literacy skills. The story uses rhyming to keep the flow of the story moving. The rhyming also helps to simplify the narrative making it easier to understand and follow. The narrative also uses the days of the week as an organizational tool. On top of this the book uses numbers to count down to the day in which the slaves. All and all this story provides a valuable perspective and history lesson for young readers as well as many tools that would help in early literacy development