Saturday, October 31, 2020

Ona Judge Outwits the Washingtons by Gwendolyn Hooks and Simone Agoussoye - OPTIONAL

Ona Judge Outwits the Washingtons : An Enslaved Woman Fights for Freedom by Gwendolyn Hooks, illustrated by Simone Agoussoye,
PICTURE BOOK, BIOGRAPHY Capstone, 2019. $19. 9781543512809 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Ona Judge was enslaved on George Washington's plantation at Mount Vernon. She was small, so she didn't work in the fields, but her mother was a seamstress and taught Ona. Soon, her talents were noticed by Martha Washington, who chose Ona to go along with the Washingtons as they were now President and First Lady of the United States. Ona did not want to be enslaved, so she looked for an opportunity to escape. George Washington didn't want the publicity of a "capture" and tried many different ways to get her back, but Ona outwitted them. 

I am so glad to see this story in a picture book biography. An important example of the history of our country - yes, many of our founding fathers enslaved people. I didn't like the illustrations, or the placement of the text in the large white spaces - the design of the book makes it appear that is in intended for a younger audience. The amount of text and the subject matter are more appealing to upper elementary and middle school.

Lisa Librarian

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