The award-winning creator of Poet traces the lesser-known story of Underground Railroad founder William Still, discussing his parents’ escape from slavery, his work with the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and his encounters with such historical figures as Harriet Tubman and William and Ellen Craft. Illustrations. - (Baker & Taylor)
Presents the life of black abolitionist William Still, son of an escaped slave, who helped his people through his work with Philadelphia's Anti-slavery Society and the Underground Railroad. - (Baker & Taylor)
From award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate comes a remarkable picture book biography of William Still, known as Father of the Underground Railroad.
William Still's parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a young man, William went to work for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, where he raised money, planned rescues, and helped freedom seekers who had traveled north. One day, a strangely familiar man came into William's office, searching for information about his long-lost family. Could it be?
Motivated by his own family's experience, William Still began collecting the stories of thousands of other freedom seekers. As a result, he was able to reunite other families and build a remarkable source of information, including encounters with Harriet Tubman, Henry "Box" Brown, and William and Ellen Craft.
Award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate brings to life the incredible, true story of William Still, a man who dedicated his life to recording the stories of enslaved people fleeing to freedom. Tate's powerful words and artwork are sure to inspire young readers in this first-ever picture book biography of the Father of the Underground Railroad. - (Random House, Inc.)
Don Tate grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where he learned about Black history at the Center for Study and Application of Black Theology. He grew up to become an author and illustrator of numerous award-winning children's books, including It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw and Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton, both of received Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor awards. He lives in Austin, Texas. - (Random House, Inc.)
Booklist Reviews
The sixteenth child of a couple who had left slavery behind and settled in New Jersey, William Still grew up in poverty but seized every opportunity for education. As a boy, he helped a man escape from slave catchers. Years later, he worked hard at the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and made his home a "station" on the Underground Railroad. In hopes of reuniting families, he kept records of the "passengers" he met, and while interviewing one man, he discovered that they were brothers. Later, he left the society to start his own business, but he never lost his sense of purpose. And when Still became wealthy, he used his resources to help his people. The digital illustrations portray him effectively from infancy to old age. In a creative use of source documents, pages from Still's journal appear on the front endpapers, while the back ones carry paler copies, superimposed with a printed transcription of the original cursive writing. In this concisely written, informative picture-book biography, Tate introduces a man who deserves to be more widely known. Grades 2-5. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.