Brick by Brick: A True Story Picture Book About the Enslaved Builders of the White House for Children (Ages 4-8) - Hardcover

Smith Jr., Charles R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061920827 ISBN 13: 9780061920820

Publisher: Amistad Books for Young Readers, 2012

Synopsis

The compelling true story behind the building of the White House, a powerful part of history rarely taught. From Coretta Scott King Award winners Charles R. Smith Jr. and Floyd Cooper.

The home of the United States president was built by many hands, including those of slaves, who undertook this amazing achievement long before there were machines to do those same jobs.

Stirring and emotional, Floyd Cooper's stunning illustrations bring to life the faces of those who endured hard, brutal work when the profit of their labor was paid to the master, not the slave. The fact that many were able to purchase their freedom after earning money from learning a trade speaks to the strength of those individuals. They created this iconic emblem of America, brick by brick.

Includes an insightful author's note and a list of selected resources.

About this title

About the Authors

Charles R. Smith Jr. is an award-winning author, photographer, and poet with more than thirty books to his credit. His awards include a Coretta Scott King Award for his photographs accompanying the Langston Hughes poem "My People" and a Coretta Scott King Honor for his biography on Muhammad Ali, 12 Rounds to Glory. He is the author of Rimshots, Hoop Kings, Hoop Queens, Tall Tales, Short Takes, Diamond Life, and I Am America. Charles brings his love of basketball and baseball right down to the toddler set in Let's Play Basketball! and Let's Play Baseball! His recent work celebrates subjects he's been interested in since he was a kid, such as The Mighty 12, which honors Greek gods and goddesses. He currently lives in Poughkeepsie, New York, with his wife, Gillian, and their three kids.

Floyd Cooper received a Coretta Scott King Award for his illustrations in The Blacker the Berry and a Coretta Scott King Honor for Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea and I Have Heard of a Land. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mr. Cooper received a degree in fine arts from the University of Oklahoma and, after graduating, worked as an artist for a major greeting card company. His many beloved books form a lasting legacy.

From the Back Cover

The president of a new country needs a new home, so many hands work together as one.

Black hands, white hands, free hands, slave hands.

In this powerful story of the building of the White House, Coretta Scott King Award winners Charles R. Smith Jr. and Floyd Cooper capture the emotion and toil that created this incredible structure, the home of our president. The White House was created by many hands, several of them slaves', who will be remembered throughout history for their extraordinary feat. Many slaves were able to purchase their freedom after earning money from learning a trade through this work, which speaks to their unbelievable strength. The title reflects how this towering symbol of America was created by hand, human hands, working toward their freedom, brick by brick.

Reviews

In a closing author’s note essential to a clear understanding of the story, Smith explains that when America was a new country and the president was in need of a residence, there were not enough workers. So the government sought slaves. Rented as property, / slave hands labor / as diggers of stone, / sawyers, / and bricklayers. At times, the rhymed verse sustains a cadence that echoes that of swinging axes; other times, the rhythm is a bit clunky, and the slant rhyme feels unintentional. Rising above these issues is Cooper’s muted but powerful illustrations, which convey the enormity of the task as well as the strength, dignity, and pride with which the slaves approached their work. Despite being in chains, several of the enslaved workers appear to be singing. With each turn of the page, the slave hands gain new skills, which ultimately earn them money to buy their freedom. This is a story that deserves to be told, courtesy of a duo of Coretta Scott King Award winners. Grades 2-4. --Austin, Patricia

Edition details

• Publisher: Amistad Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061920827
• ISBN 13: 9780061920820
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Cooper Floyd
• Number of pages: 32