Hello ,
This week I had the great pleasure
of meeting Illustrator Phyllis Limbacher Tildes and touring her art studio. Today I'll show you some of the books she wrote and illustrated.
She also gave me a tour of the island where she lives off the coast of Georgia.Where I saw many of these famous oak trees dripping with
Spanish moss, which I had only ever seen in the movies.
Born a Slave, Died A King |
And Helped Fight for American Liberty in Between
This week I had the fortunate opportunity to accompany my husband on a business
trip to Savannah, GA. There in the middle of a tree-lined square in the city's historic distict, I came across this story.
Sorry, my photo is terrible so you'll have to trust me on this, it's a statue of a drummer boy, part of a monument to the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Dominigue. This was a group of mixed race men and boys who fought for the French in the Siege of Savannah during the American Revolution.
The boy represents 12-year-old Henri Cristophe. Born a slave on the Island of Genada, he escaped and stowed away on a ship bound for the island we now call Haiti. There he ended up serving a French naval officer who sailed for America to aid the continential troops fighting for independance from the British.
The Siege of Savannah was horrible rout for the French and the second deadliest battle of the Revolutionary War. But young Christophe escaped with his life and went on to much fame and fortune. Though he never learned to read and write he had a bent for leadership and after buying his freedom,
joined Black General Toussaint Louverture in fighting for freedom for all the slaves as well as Haiti's freedom from French, Spanish
and English colonial powers.
Over the years, Christophe gained political clout and seized power, eventually declaring himself King of independant Haiti. Despite his commitment to ending slavery, he became a domineering King.
Haiti prospered under his leadership, developed a stable currency and strong trade, but the high-spirited boy who ran away from his master, had the confidence to marry his boss's daughter and bargain with Napoleon Bonaparte's emmissaries--died by his own hand when rebels siezed his power. For a more detailed account, click here...http://forgottennewsmakers.com/2011/01/28/henry-christophe-1767-%e2%80%93-1820-king-of-haiti/
The Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Dominigue was the largest group of soldiers of African descent to fight in the American
Revolution. The monument in Savannah honers them and reminds us of the sacrifice of African American's on other revolutionary battlefields as well. Phyllis Limbacher Tildes's books often involve animals and toddlers. One I espeically liked is called ANIMALS IN CAMOUFLAGE. Here's how the publisher describes it:
Meet seven animals
that use camouflage to hide from both predators and prey. Each spread features a picture of a camouflaged animal, as well as a short poem that provides clues about the animal's identity. When readers turn the page, the hidden animal is revealed on the next spread.
Great news for PURE GRIT this week! It's not announced officially yet, but PURE GRIT has been nominated for the Eureka Award by the California Reading Association. The
award celebrates and honors nonfiction children’s books and helps teachers, librarians, and parents identify outstanding nonfiction books for their students and children. Thanks so much, CRA! This is a terrific honor for PURE GRIT.
Thank you for reading! I know your time is valuable and I appreciate you spending a few minutes with me today. I am always happy to hear your thoughts If you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please forward this e-mail. Currently, new subscribers will be entered in a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate to their favorite independent books store. I will never spam you or sell your email address,
you can unsubscribe below anytime with a single mouse click. If you'd like to get your hands on a copy of PURE GRIT, here's the place! If you'd like a signed copy and I'm not coming to your neighborhood soon, let me know. I can send you a personally autographed book or a signed bookplate. To find
out more about my books, how I help students, teacher and librarians, visit my website at www.MaryCronkFarrell.com. My best, Mary Questions? Comments? Contact me at MaryCronkFarrell@gmail.com. Click here to subscribe to this newsletter.
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