The Daring Escape of Ellen Craft (On My Own History) - Softcover

Moore, Cathy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0876147872 ISBN 13: 9780876147870

Publisher: First Avenue Editions ™, 2002

Synopsis

On December 21, 1848, Ellen Craft and her husband, William, slipped out into the cold, dark night and took their first steps towards freedom. They were runaway slaves. Posing as a white man traveling with a slave, Ellen courageously boarded a train bound for Philadelphia. Could they actually make it a thousand miles without being discovered? As each tension-filled day passed and freedom got closer, Ellen and William risked everything - even death - to be free.

About this title

About the Author:

For more than 30 years, Cathy Moore has been a passionate advocate for improving performance by respecting and deeply challenging people. She's the creator of the action mapping model for training design, which she teaches to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, international NGOs, and other organizations worldwide. 

She blogs about corporate learning design at cathy-moore.com.

I truly believe I have the most wonderful job in the world. 

I began drawing at a very early age and I always experienced great joy in being creative. Much of my childhood I spent stretched out on the floor daydreaming and drawing whatever came to my mind. 

A desire to improve my drawing and painting has always been important to me. I was determined to be able to render human faces and my brothers and sisters often called my drawings "Monkey People" It is interesting that now I illustrate new Curious George books! 

When I was very young I loved the pictures in my books and I began to make books from my own stories and drew pictures to illustrate them. I still have a few of those little books! 

I received a BFA from Parsons School of Design in New York City. I learned so much there - about drawing, painting and illustrating children's books. I also learned how to present my work professionally so that I would get assignments as an illustrator. That was more than 25 years ago and now I go to Art Schools and share my experience with the students. 

I have published more than 40 children's books as well as illustrations for book jackets, magazines, greeting cards and advertizing. In 2001 I began collaborating with Pat Schories on the Biscuit Series and have illustrated 16 of them. In 2004 I began illustrating new Curious George books. I truly enjoy drawing George in the style of H.A.Rey. I like the challenge of showing him having lots of fun and as usual, getting into some type of trouble. I am presently working on my 8th and 9th Curious George. 

My studio is in my home in White Plains, NY. I was very fortunate to work and also to be available while my 3 children were growing up. It is wonderful to be able to take a short break every few hours and walk around my yard and enjoy the emerging flowers, our vegetable garden, the autumn leaves or the snow. I also enjoy hiking, skiing, running, kayaking and bicycling.

I often visit schools and libraries to talk to children about my work. They get so excited when they try to guess what I am drawing for them. To all the children and adults who enjoy picture books - thank you!

From School Library Journal:

Grades 1-3--Ellen and William Craft were slaves determined to escape to freedom. Their daring plan involved Ellen traveling as a white male slave master with William as her slave. Risking everything, they embarked on their journey from Georgia on December 21, 1848. The difficult trip ended with the couple arriving safely in Philadelphia on Christmas Day. This account of a real event employs a suspenseful text that will keep readers engaged to the very end. A note explains that the dialogue was "taken or adapted from conversations reported by William Craft" in his 1860 narrative. Soft watercolor paintings illustrate almost every page and there are reproductions of a period drawing and photograph of Ellen Craft. An afterword explains what happened to the couple after their escape and mentions William Craft's book on the subject. A great nonfiction choice for newly independent readers.
Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: First Avenue Editions ™
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0876147872
• ISBN 13: 9780876147870
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Young Mary O'Keefe