Jennifer Robinson

A careful observer might notice many similarities between a young cat and a pre-school aged child. Both are curious, filled with wonder at the world around them, busy, playful and occasionally just a wee bit naughty. It is safe to say, however, that both also possess a ration of timidity, caution and wariness of the unknown.

Such is the mirror by which Eric Rohmann defines the audience for his latest picture book, A Kitten Tale. Four happy-go-lucky kittens a brown one, a gray one, an orange one and a yellow one frolic on a simple white cover, inviting the reader into this refreshingly basic tale. Opening pages depict the four friends dancing with their shadows and impishly chasing a bumblebee. The plot is quickly established in the first page of text when we see the yellow kitten, clearly the most adventuresome of the lot, with its backside extruding from a mailbox. Postcards flutter down, among them some cards depicting wintry scenes. The kittens are struck with fear. What will happen when the snow arrives? We will be cold to the tips of our tails, one kitten intones. But the yellow cat cries, "I can't wait." Worry persists among the felines and as the seasons change, each one chimes in with its own refrain as they fret about being cold and wet and covered with piles and drifts of snow. Still, the yellow kitten mews with optimism, "I can't wait."

Rohmann, known for his Caldecott Award-winning book, My Friend Rabbit, as well as the Caldecott Honor book Time Flies, uses monotype prints in soft colors, offset by bold black frames, to beautifully support the story. Young children and parents alike will enjoy the wonderment on the kittens' faces as a wordless double-page spread reveals a surprise ending. This charming book with its sensitive contrast between a young one's natural reluctance and lively fearlessness will have many children begging to be read to, and their families replying, "I can't wait."

Jennifer Robinson is a teacher in Baltimore.

As a child, I was fascinated by stories of the Underground Railroad. The courage, the ingenuity and the unwavering resolve of those who fought against slavery inspired me. One character in particular stood out in this network to freedom: Harriet Tubman. Born a slave in Maryland around 1820, Tubman was destined to resist the life she was born into. Even as a young girl, she was stubborn, running away, refusing orders and eventually placing herself between her owner and an escaping slave. Tubman's parents, however, had instilled in her something stronger than any of the travails that life had dealt her faith in God.

It is this faith that underpins Carole Boston Weatherford's depiction of Tubman in Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. In this fictionalized telling of Tubman's own escape from slavery as well as her subsequent rescue of other slaves, Weatherford creates a conversation between her character and the Lord. Harriet's questions to God, How far Lord? and Have you deserted me? show a woman who had very human doubts and fears. Much like the biblical Moses to whom she is compared, Tubman struggles with the task that she feels God has given her. Kadir Nelson's richly colored illustrations add a magnificent sense of realism to this superbly told story. Many pages are darkly hued, offering a reminder of the inky nights that escaping slaves faced on their journey northward. Nelson also captures a myriad of emotions etched on Tubman's face. Weatherford, known for her distinctive handling of history in A Negro League Scrapbook, has written a story that will both inform and inspire. Teachers and parents alike will appreciate the inclusion of both a foreword which describes the history of slavery in America and an author's note with background on Tubman's life.

"When Soonie's Great-Grandma was seven, she was sold from the Virginia land to a plantation. . . ." So begins Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical telling of her family history. Soonie's memory of her ma and pa is a mere remnant of muslin and thread, from which she fashions quilt pieces. Soonie listens "real hard" to stories of freedom and before long, she too has a daughter born a slave and sold away. Mathis May, as she is called, continues in the tradition of sewing and becomes known for her "Show Way," a quilt to guide those who slip away in the night, seeking freedom. With passing time, history presents new challenges for Woodson's ancestors. But the strong women of each generation face what life brings, with an eye for beauty: sewing, teaching, making art and writing.

Woodson's musical phrases draw the reader in, creating such images as the sky changing "from pink day to blue-black night." The story, though a work of fiction, has a genuine sense of history which is enhanced by Hudson Talbott's inky watercolors. In keeping with the story's textile theme, Talbott uses collage with muslin and other fabrics. His use of period artwork, photography and newspaper clippings hints at the many aspects of slave life. Quotes by Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Mary McLeod Bethune and others, all patched together with stitching, whet the appetite of readers who might wish to know more about this time in our nation's past.

Parents and teachers alike will find Show Way a perfect springboard for discussion with school-age children about slavery, the Underground Railroad, segregation and the civil rights movement. Both the text and richly detailed illustrations serve to pique the reader's interest in the past and the people who created it. Woodson's conclusion imbues readers with a sense of unity. Everyone has their own family stories that have bearing on who they are and it is these events that create, for each of us, our own Show Way.

Jennifer Robinson is a teacher in Baltimore.