The reliable Center for Cartoon Studies Presents series here offers an account of Harriet Tubman's life and work, beginning with her conversations with William Still in 1850. The bulk of the story dramatizes one rescue, during which she escorted her brothers to Canada. Lee's gentle pinks and purples, along with the cartoonishly rounded yet deeply expressive faces, are in compelling contrast to the genuine peril of their escape, but the focus remains squarely on Tubman's quiet, steely heroics rather than the brutality of the conditions they were fleeing. Apart from the biographical interest, Taylor's script is rich in tension and character, cultivating a dynamic story that reads like fiction, and though the scope is narrow, it allows for a more in-depth exploration of Tubman's character and motivations. A handy reference guide in the back matter offers more detailed information about some of the people and places featured in the story, along with other context-building notes and resource lists. This solid biography is a natural choice for classrooms, but it should find a ready audience among more casual readers, too.

This Center for Cartoon Studies Presents entry (most recently, Glynnis Fawkes's Charlotte Bronte Before Jane Eyre, rev. 11/19) spotlights the life and legacy of famed Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman. Biographical information is conveyed through sequential art and dialogue, including a fictionalized meeting with Philadelphia abolitionist William Still. The story also zooms in on Tubman's successful effort in 1854 to help her brothers escape enslavement. Rectangular panels depict mostly realistic scenes, with thick black outlines and muted, shadowy shades of pink and blue; whimsical, feather- and firework-like shapes are used to symbolize her unwavering faith and belief that God was offering her direction. Shifts in visual perspective emphasize sensory-rich, scene-setting details (mice scurrying, lanterns buzzing, trains passing, etc.). The "spells" Tubman experienced after an overseer threw a heavy weight at her forehead are illustrated, as well as the subterfuges, codes, and traditions enslaved people developed to survive and celebrate their lives despite the oppression they faced and actively fought. The people highlighted have agency and courage, with their humanity and hope centered. (At one point Tubman says, about her failed marriage, "What can you do but move forward?") With an introduction by Carole Boston Weatherford and back matter including "Panel Discussions" and source notes detailing the creative liberties taken for dramatic effect. Elisa Gall

Words and images depict Harriet Tubman's dangerous work of leading enslaved people to freedom.This graphic-novel treatment of a part of Harriet Tubman's life focuses on the aftermath of her own flight to freedom and her early efforts to liberate others from slavery. The first few months were disorienting and scary for a woman who had lived her life in bondage. In flashbacks, readers can experience its harshness. When she receives word that her brothers are about to be sold further south, Harriet begins to prepare to bring them to freedom. The journey is a harrowing one, but Harriet's commanding leadership successfully guides them to Philadelphia, then to upstate New York and finally Canada. In addition to some of the more familiar aspects of Tubman's story, this volume shines a light on both the dramatic aspects of freeing enslaved people and the emotional healing required of those who were successful in their quest for freedom. The strong family ties are a significant focus and demonstrate the motivations of many who worked in the Underground Railroad movement. The graphic format works exceptionally well in telling this story, Lee's paneled images heightening the tension and carrying a significant weight in the storytelling. An essay by Carole Boston Weatherford opens the story; notes on specific panels that follow it are a distinctive feature that provides context and supporting information.An insightful and fresh addition to the story of an iconic figure. (notes, bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 10-14)

Gr 6 Up-Taylor and Lee tell the story of Harriet Tubman, a girl who was once afraid of everything but who eventually led a multitude of people to freedom through the most harrowing of circumstances. In the introduction, Carole Boston Weatherford ( Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom ) discusses this remarkable woman whose faith shaped her into the dynamic historical figure we know today. Taylor and Lee cover William Still, the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee, and the city of St. Catherine's in Canada, the last stop on the Underground Railroadin the "Panel Discussions" section at the end of the book, they expand on these and other topics. They also include story notes about the artistic liberties they took. Highlighting locations such as the suspension bridge over the Niagara River grounds Tubman, a figure often shrouded in legend, in reality. The pink and blue hues of the artwork have a vintagelike quality, like aged photographs. The text could have benefited from a glossary of Underground Railroad terms and signs. However, what sets the work apart is the inclusion of the role the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee played in recording fugitive oral history, which the Works Progress Administration would later use to explain how formerly enslaved people would take the names of the planters who stole everything from them, and how vigilant Tubman was about adhering to the rules of the Underground Railroad, keeping her entire group safe. VERDICT This moving graphic novel brings Tubman to vivid life. A strong addition to graphic biography sections. Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL