As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Floyd Cooper.
In powerful verse that emphasizes the subjects' dedication and hard work, Smith relates slaves' contributions to the building of the White House in 1792; their labor provided many with trade skills, which then allowed them to "purchase freedom / earned brick by brick." Cooper's soft-focus sepia-toned art showing "black hands / white hands" working together on the historic project bolsters the inspirational story.