Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Carole Boston Weatherford opens readers to a beautiful dialogue between Harriett Tubman and God to depict her journey of freeing slaves through the Underground Railroad. Often Harriett Tubman is written as a hero,as she was, but this book focuses on her emotions, her humanity, her emotional toil that accompanied her physical burdens of escaping to freedom. It's beautiful and inspiring to see Harriett Tubman in such a relatable way- doubting her faith, begging for God's help, and letting Him lead her. For a girl who sinks into every romance novel, this book shows the love story and undeniable trust between Harriett and her Lord. The detailed illustrations helped me dive into this book and experience the agony Harriett and her fellow show more slaves felt. show less

Goodread REview:
I set the North Star in the heavens and I mean for you to be free....

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman hears these words from God one summer night and decides to leave her husband and family behind and escape. Taking with her only her faith, she must creep through the woods with hounds at her feet, sleep for days in a potato hole, and trust people who could have easily turned her in.

But she was never alone.

In lyrical text, Carole Boston Weatherford describes Tubman's spiritual journey as she hears the voice of God guiding her north to freedom on that very first trip to escape the brutal practice of forced servitude. Tubman would make nineteen subsequent trips back south, never being caught, but none as profound as this show more first one. Courageous, compassionate, and deeply religious, Harriet Tubman, with her bravery and relentless pursuit of freedom, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

This is a unique and moving portrait of one of the most inspiring figures of the Underground Railroad. Kadir Nelson's emotionally charged paintings embody strength, healing, and hope. show less

This gorgeous picture-book, which more than deserves its Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, follows the story of Harriet Tubman's own escape from slavery - a journey that (one imagines) would provide an example for all of the daring southward returns which followed, once she became a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Presented as a dialogue between Harriet and God, in whom she had an unshakable faith, and with whom she had a deep and loving relationship, it highlights the fact that many slaves had little recourse, in the face of brutality and injustice, save to the Divine. Tense, beautiful, moving, Carole Boston Weatherford's narrative envisions the process whereby Harriet the slave became Moses the show more liberator.

Like some other reviewers, I'm not sure that Weatherford's book would make the best introduction to the story of Harriet Tubman, for young readers who have never before encountered it before, since it focuses on the spiritual aspects of her life, and picks up when she is already a grown woman. I seem to recall that the biography of Tubman that I owned as a girl devoted some time to her youth, and that I was particularly struck (and horrified) by the incident in which her "owner" hit her in the head with a two-pound weight, thereby inflicting a life-long traumatic injury (an incident that appears here only in the informative afterword). But although not the best introduction to Harriet Tubman, Moses is a book that, for those young readers already familiar with her story, will add another dimension to their understanding and admiration of her.

As for the artwork by Kadir Nelson, it alone makes the entire book worth seeking out! Stunningly beautiful, with brilliant use of color and light, and one emotionally resonant scene following another, it warrants every superlative imaginable! Highly recommended to anyone who is looking for good picture-books about Harriet Tubman - particularly those looking for supplemental material - as well as to anyone who appreciates gorgeous picture-book art! show less

Boston brings a new dimension to the Harriet Tubman story with her focus on Harriet's relationship with God. A forward at the beginning of the book sets the context with a brief explanation of slavery. An author's note at the end of the book gives biographical information on Tubman. Nelson's illustrations are remarkable; he makes perspective choices that hold the reader's interest, but it's his faces that stand out. Every time we see Tubman's face it is a revelation - the emotions, the lines, the sheer determination Tubman needed to survive. This would be great with regular schools for Civil War or slavery units but could also be great for Sunday schools.

This picture book was really powerful. Harriet Tubman has a conversation with God, where He tells her He has bigger plans for her than slavery. She speaks in prayers often. Basically the whole book is in prayer form. Or like a singing prayer form? I guess it depends how you read it. Her faith is what gives her strength to help her people to freedom, much like Moses and it’s easy to understand why she was given that nickname. The illustrations were super powerful and amazing and it didn’t surprise me given that Kadir Nelson is the illustrator. He makes God seem so big, with Gods words enlarged and filling up space and sky. Like god is literally big in this book even though he’s not directly shown. Harriet Tubman is often looking show more towards God as they speak to each other and she really looks exhausted in the illustrations. You can feel her determination. I really liked this book and am glad I found it. show less

Moses: When Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The author’s voice carries us into Tubman’s fears and prayers as she travels north out of slavery in her first of many such journeys. For children who would dare greatly, this story is a model of courage and trust in God to be with them. Tubman’s faith births a sense of justice that molds her into a dedicated and strategic way finder. Excellent for use in a church school setting.

Tubman's religious faith drives this handsome, poetic account of her escape to freedom and role in the Underground Railroad. The story begins with Tubman addressing God on a summer night as she is about to be sold south from the Maryland plantation where she and her husband live: I am Your child, Lord; yet Master owns me,/drives me like a mule. In resounding bold text, God tells her He means for her to be free. The story is sketched between passages of prayerful dialogue that keep Tubman from giving up and eventually call upon her to be the Moses of [her] people. Deep scenes of night fill many double pages as the dramatic paintings follow her tortuous journey, arrival in Philadelphia, and later trip to guide others. Shifting show more perspectives and subtle details, such as shadowy forest animals guarding her while she sleeps, underscore the narrative's spirituality. Whether filled with apprehension, determination, or serenity, Tubman's beautifully furrowed face is expressive and entrancing. A foreword briefly explains the practice of slavery and an appended note outlines Tubman's life. The words and pictures create a potent sense of the harsh life of slavery, the fearsome escape, and one woman's unwavering belief in God show less