Minty

Schroeder, Alan. 1996. MINTY A STORY OF YOUNG HARRIET TUBMAN. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney.New York: Dial Books . ISBN-10: 014056196X


PLOT SUMMARY
This fictional story tells the tale of a young Harriet Tubman. Known to her family as Minty, Harriet is a slave on a Maryland plantation and suffers daily at the hands of her owner as she works in the fields. Not satisfied to live her life this way, Harriet often tells her family that she is going to run away even though she knows the price if she is caught. Knowing that she really will run away one day her family teaches her how to surive in the woods. At this young age she was already displaying the fire that would one day make her a leader in the Underground Railroad.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Schroeder does an excellent job bringing this historical figure to life. Telling Harriet’s story from a child’s view helps younger students relate to this hero. His use of dialect that would have been common during the time of the slaves, “No, Missus” helps to make the story more authentic. Another cultural marker that Schroeder uses is food. The description of the food that the Broda’s family eats as well as the muskrats that Minty lets out of there traps would have been common on the plantation. As students read about the young Harriet they will want to learn more about her. This book would be an excellent introduction into her life.
Pinkney’s illustrations created through the use of pencils, water colors and, colored pencils help to make young Harriet come to life. His research of the period is evident in the illustrations. The plantation house is modeled after homes in Maryland during the same time. He also is careful to make sure the clothing and hairstyles of the slave owners and slaves are authentic for the time. Even though Minty is beaten in the story the illustrations do not show this violence. Pinkney’s choice to not show this makes this book appropriate for sharing with younger children.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publishers Weekly
With color and feeling he humanizes a historic figure, coaxing readers to imagine or research the rest of the story. Pinkney's full-bodied watercolors evoke a strong sense of time and place. Laudably, Pinkney's scenes consistently depict young Minty's point of view, giving the harshness of her reality more resonance for readers. A formal author's note follows the text and both Schroeder and Pinkney have included personal messages about the history of the book project. A firm stepping stone toward discussions of slavery and U.S. history

School Library Journal
Pinkney's illustrations are outstanding, even when compared to his other fine work. His paintings, done in pencil, colored-pencils, and watercolor, use light and shadow to great effect, and his depictions of Minty are particularly powerful and expressive.

Reviews accessed at:
http://www.amazon.com/Minty-Harriet-Tubman-Picture-Puffin/dp/014056196X

CONNECTIONS
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/biographies/activity/9410.html