4/22/2017 0 Comments Freedom in Congo Square2016, Written by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Gregory Christie, Foreword by Freddie Williams Evans Caldecott Honor Book (2017), Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustrator (2017), Charlotte Zolotow Award (2017) Set in Louisiana during the height of slavery, Freedom in Congo Square is a colorful, rhyming picturebook showing the slaves' ability to find joy and freedom, even in a world that denies it to them. Congo Square was a real place in the heart of New Orleans, where (because of a law making Sundays sacred) every Sunday African slaves would be allowed to gather to dance. Freedom in Congo Square seeks not only to document this historical fact, but make it accessible to young readers. Freedom in Congo Square does not shy away from or make light of the harsh realities of slavery—reference is made to "the dreaded lash, too much to bear," and the foreword and author's note are very informative as well—but does not become too explicit for young minds. At its heart, the book is full of energy and spirit, which is something every child (and adult) can respond to. It's easy to just say that this book is an interesting work of nonfiction, or that it can be a way to teach young children multicultural history. All of those things are true, but they do not quite live up to what this book is bringing to the table. This book is not only important, it is powerful, showing what the human spirit is and what it can endure. It shows how resilient these slaves were, and how important it was for them to keep their culture alive. It should be important to us too.
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