Sweet Clara And The Freedom Quilt

Author:

Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrator:

James Ransome

Published by:

Alfred A. Knopf

First Published:

10 Jul 1995

Ideal for readers aged

9-12y

My Review

This is a brilliant picture book for slightly older children - it has plenty of text, but lots of gorgeously bright illustrations too. Clara's creativity, resilience, patience and determination as she secretly sews a quilt that maps out the landscape that lies between her plantation and freedom shine through in the book. I particularly love the author's imagining of the deliberate passing on of information to include in the quilt by people in Clara's slave community as they make comments in her hearing about things they have heard, but never dirently communicate for fear of her quilt being discovered. It's a tale vividly brough to life, and one that is truly inspiring.

Heads Up!

If reading this story, you might want to remember that the concrete evidence for Show Way quilts being used in the underground railroad is still being uncovered, but due to the secret nature of there existence that's unsurprising.

If you are intrigued by the quilts and their history, look out also for Jacqueline Woodson's book 'Show Way', which tracks the story of a quilt and its power to speak of freedom through the generations of her family in gorgeous illustrations and her signature poetic prose.

Publisher Review

An inspiring tale of creativity and determination on the Underground Railroad from Coretta Scott King Award winner James Ransome and acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson. Clara, a slave and seamstress on Home Plantation, dreams of freedom--not just for herself, but for her family and friends. When she overhears a conversation about the Underground Railroad, she has a flash of inspiration. Using scraps of cloth from her work in the Big House and scraps of information gathered from other slaves, she fashions a map that the master would never even recognize. . . . From the award-winning author-illustrator team of Deborah Hopkinson and James Ransome, this fictional tale of the Underground Railroad continues to inspire young readers 25 years after its original publication.