Henry's Freedom Box
By: Ellen Levine
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
This book is about Henry Brown who was born as slave in the 1800s. When Henry Brown's master was illed, Henry was taken away from his family at a young age, he was sent to live with the master's son. As Henry grew older, he started his own family with his wife name Nancy. Henry's wife Nancy and their children was taken away from him and sold at the slave market. After that happened, Henry then took the risk by traveling on the Underground Railroad, in order for him to escape to freedom with the help of some friends he used a crate. His plan was to mail himself to a place where there were no slaves. After a long 27 hour journey, Henry was delivered to the home of an abolitionist William Johnson, where his dream of being free had finally become true.
This book is a historical fiction, it was based on a true events that happened during that time. The themes of Henry's Freedom Box is: slavery, loss, and freedom. Throughout the book there was slavery and Henry was taken away because of slavery and loss both of his families so that is where theme of loss plays the role. The role of freedom comes at the very end when he finally reaches the place where there were no slaves.
The illustrations in Henry's Freedom Box used represenational art. The drawings of each character looks so realistic. The media technique was pencil, oil, and watercolor. (Galda, Cullinan, & Sipe, 2010) The illustrator used a lot of neutral colors like browns and beiges with hints of dark colors like blacks and dark blue. His lines give a sense of depth and detail. The tone and the mood of the book is sad and happy when he married Nancy and when he was free. But a majority of the books mood was sad and gloomy.
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Classroom Activities:
1. One activity would be to have the students create their own freedom box. They would choice a place that represents freedom for them, on the box they will write the location or address, and then they will write a paragraph describing the place and why they chose the place as their freedom place.
2. Another actvity would be to have students research an important person who made an impact during slavery, or made a difference for African Americans.
Reader Response Question
- Why is Henry “Box” Brown one of the most famous slaves of the Underground
Railroad?
- What city did Henry ship his box to?
- Why did Henry consider March 30, 1849
his birthday?
Personal Comments:
I think this book is a great and inspirational book for all ages. It tells a story of a man who loss everything that was important to him, and no matter he never gave up on becoming a free man.
Galda, L., Cullinan, B. E., & Sipe, L. R. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworths, Inc.
Levine, E. (2017). Henry's Freedom Box. New York. Scholastic Press.
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