Crossing The Delaware: A History In Many Voices - Hardcover

Peacock, Louise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689809948 ISBN 13: 9780689809941

Publisher: Atheneum, 1998

Synopsis

Detailed paintings, letters from fictional soldiers, and true-life accounts are combined to tell the dramatic tale of General Washington's crossing of Delaware and the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War during the winter of 1776.

About this title

About the Author:

Louise Peacock, who has always been interested in history, took a PhD in medieval studies before turning to children's liturature. Her first book, Crossing the Delaware, was inspired by a trip with her son to Washington's Crossing. The book, also told in many voices, was praised by Booklist with a starred review.At Ellis Island continues this unique method of historical exploration. Dr. Peacock lives in Haslett, Michigan.

From Publishers Weekly:

This picture-book presentation spells out events leading up to the decisive battle in the American Revolution. In this first book for Peacock, the account emerges through several perspectives: on the left of each spread, a present-day narrator traces Washington's footsteps from the House of Decisions on the bank of the Delaware River to the battle site on the opposite shore in Trenton, N.J.; on the right, a fictional enlisted soldier, Henry, writes letters to his sweetheart, alongside excerpts from letters written by actual enlisted men and leaders. Occasionally, the rigid design trips up the flow (as when Henry's letters home continue onto the next spread), but the mix of viewpoints offers a well-balanced view of each new development. The authentic historic voices deliver the most impact, but the other narrative streams place them in context. With smooth pacing, Peacock clearly depicts the odds stacked against the ill-clad and ill-equipped American farmers who came up against the well-outfitted Hessian mercenaries. Krudop (Black Whiteness) adheres to a wintry palette of blues, grays and browns in his full-page and vignette oil paintings, effectively capturing the broken spirit of the men and Washington's lonely leadership. One especially dramatic illustration shows the general standing guard on the bank of the Delaware in the snow and sleet to ensure the safety of each crossing vessel. An afterword placing the events described here in relation to the end of the Revolution would have been helpful; period black-and-white engravings and lithographs round out this animated approach to a crucial moment in American history. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atheneum
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0689809948
• ISBN 13: 9780689809941
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Krudop Walter Lyon