Seven Miles to Freedom

Review
By Carol's Corner

Have you heard of Robert Smalls? I hadn’t, at least not until I read this beautiful new biography. Now, I can’t wait to introduce my students and my sons to Robert Smalls. . . . This is a terrific story of an amazing Civil War hero. The illustrations, done by Duane Smith, are stunning, oil paintings in all hues of blue, turquoise, green, orange, and gold. The paintings are really different, lots of really broad brush strokes, with the details being done in different shades of the same color. It’s hard to describe, but I could see art teachers using Smith’s work to teach students about oil painting. This is Smith’s first picture book, and he goes right under Kadir Nelson on my list of favorite illustrators. . . . A great book for African American history month, or a unit on the Civil War, or heroes, or bravery, or biographies. &mdashCarol’s Corner