The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Weatherford, Carole Boston

Freedom in Congo Square

40 pp. | Little Bee | January, 2016 | Trade ISBN 978-1-4998-0103-3 $17.99

(1) K-3 Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. In Louisiana, enslaved Africans were provided a half-day of rest each Sunday; in New Orleans, they gathered in Congo Square. Spare couplets, describing the labors and horrors of slavery, count down to Sunday. Weatherford sugarcoats nothing, but the text isn't mired in sadness or pain. Christie's illustrations, which recall Jacob Lawrence's work, add even more emotional depth. A foreword provides historical context.

Reviewer: Sarah Hannah Gomez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2016