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Summary
Summary
To some of us, the American Revolution might be little more than a dusty old piece of American history. But what would our lives -- our country and world -- be like if the American Revolution had ended practically before it had even begun? The Revolution did seem nearly over in the harsh winter of 1776. The Continental Army, led by General George Washington, had suffered many defeats and had made many retreats. Now the soldiers found themselves encamped on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, across from three Hessian regiments occupying the town of Trenton, New Jersey. Tired, cold, ill-clothed, and ill-equipped to fight, most of them were ready to go home when their enlistments were up. Only decisive action could possibly win General Washington a battle -- and save the Revolution. A variety of voices in a variety of forms -- a present-day narrator, the letters of a fictional soldier, and true accounts from the time -- are brought together with period images and Walter Lyon Krudop's dramatic art to make vivid the critical moments of Washington's crossing of the Delaware. Readers cannot help but come away with a new ap
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Washington's daring crossing of the Delaware is depicted in three different ways in this intriguing book. A present-day narrator describes the events as he tours the house that served as the general's headquarters and imagines what Washington and his men must have been feeling. A series of letters from a fictional soldier to his sweetheart show some of his fears and worries, couched in words of encouragement and hope. Quotes from soldiers, officers, and from Washington himself reaffirm the events and feelings expressed in the narration and in the letters. The illustrations, too, offer different perspectives; Krudop's atmospheric oil paintings are accompanied by historical reproductions. The careful layout makes it easy to recognize the different parts of the text, with the narrative set in yellow boxes, the fictional letters in cursive script, and the quotes in bold type with sources noted below. The shifts in voice work effectively, creating an unusually personal look at a historical event. The varied perspectives focus on the initial hopelessness of the men in Washington's army. It becomes clear that the general had to do something daring to rekindle their spirit, and the excitement and fear of the river crossing and the Battle of Trenton come through vividly. The real triumph in the story is not the defeat of the Hessians, but in the unexpected reenlistment of so many soldiers that follows, marking the beginning of optimism for the Revolutionary Army.- Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Historical reporting, excerpts from primary source documents, reproductions of period art, original paintings, and letters by a fictive soldier combine to re-create the weeks leading up to the crossing of the Delaware River by Washington's troops and the ensuing victory in the Battle of Trenton. The concept is compelling and the excerpts from primary source documents moving, but the design is confusing, and the authored material melodramatic. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Peacock travels to historic sites from the Revolutionary War and weaves the history of Washington's crossing of the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton from three strands: straight details mingled with brief personal reflections; snippets from letters and documents of the time; and letters as they might have been penned by Harry, imagined as one of Washington's troops. The straight narrative is the most successful, as Peacock describes Washington's discouraged troops waiting out the bleak December following many defeats. The excerpts from actual writings offer the shiver of veracity. But Harry, the fictional soldier who writes letters to his sister, never seems as alive for readers as the other two voices used. Utterly adept are Krudop's somber paintings; the purples and grays convey the mood of winter battle scenes, and expand on the details found in small archival etchings. (Picture book. 7-11)
Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-6. The unusual subtitle, "A History in Many Voices," hints at what makes this book different. Rather than having an omniscient narrator sum up events leading to Washington's forces crossing the Delaware, the book includes several points of view, verbally and visually, and lets its readers gather impressions of what happened and what it meant to those involved. Each double-page spread includes one, two, or three forms of text: the author's commentary and personal reflections, a fictional letter from a soldier named Harry, and a quotation from an actual letter, diary, or speech. As the book moves through the bitter cold month of December, 1776, the cumulative effect is a series of moving incidents seen from many points of view. The impressionistic style of Krudop's paintings seems particularly fitting in this context. Although George Washington is the only identifiable figure, the artwork vividly portrays the hardships of the many soldiers who followed him through snow and hail, and across the icy Delaware. In contrast to the colorful, large-scale paintings are small, black-and-white reproductions of period paintings and prints, which give their own perspectives on the times. A fresh look at a pivotal event in American history. --Carolyn Phelan
