Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring THE ESCAPE OF ROBERT SMALLS: A DARING VOYAGE OUT OF SLAVERY written by Jehan Jones-Radgowski and illustrated by Poppy Kang.

I had never heard about Robert Smalls, but after reading THE ESCAPE OF ROBERT SMALLS: A DARING VOYAGE OUT OF SLAVERY his story is one I will never forget. Robert was an enslaved black man, born in Beaufort, SC in 1839, who worked on a Confederate Army supply ship, the Planter, in Charleston during the Civil War. He was very clever and observant. By watching the captain day after day, Robert learned how to sail the ship. Then one night, he hatched a plan to steal the ship and turn it over to the Union Army. He enlisted the help of his fellow enslaved shipmates, and one night while the captain was enjoying some time on shore with his family, Robert and the crew steered the ship past strongly guarded forts in Confederate territory to Union controlled waters.

Jehan Jones-Radgowski’s words combined with Poppy Kang’s beautiful illustrations bring Robert Small’s story to life in striking detail. The author establishes the difficulty and danger of Robert’s actions as well as his bravery. The end papers are not to be missed as we learn even more about this American hero.

Highly recommended for family reading and classroom libraries for ages 7+! This book releases on 9/1/19. Please request it for your school and local libraries. This daring American hero’s story has been overlooked for too long.

Thank you to Capstone Editions and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.

Jehan Jones-Radgowski is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer who has lived in South Africa, Spain, Venezuela, Ghana, and the Dominican Republic. She is also the author of John Lewis: Get to Know the Statesman Who Marched for Civil Rights.