Levine, Ellen. 2007. Henry’s Freedom Box. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439777339
Plot Summary
Henry’s Freedom Box is a true story written by Ellen Levine about a slave who literally mailed himself to freedom. In this Caldecott award winning book, we are transported back to a time when slavery was alive and abominably well in our country. Henry Brown was a young black child who was born into slavery in Virginia. The simple, yet powerful introduction of Henry sets the tone for the book, “Henry Brown wasn’t sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves weren’t allowed to know their birthdays.” Levine compellingly displays the objectification of slaves as she recounts the moment Henry was given to another owner as a gift. We next see Henry as a disenchanted young man working wearily in a tobacco factory. He soon meets another enslaved woman who instantly becomes Henry’s sole source of light and happiness. They are married and have three children together. Yet, as quickly as Henry found his wife, she was hastily sold away along with their three children. This becomes Henry’s catalyst for making a move that only a desperate man could imagine. With the aid of his best friend and a white man, who is partnered with the Underground Railroad, Henry puts himself into a wooden crate and is mailed to Philadelphia where he finds his freedom.
Critical Analysis
Ellen Levine was inspired to write about Henry “Box” Brown after reading William Still’s The Underground Railroad. In Still’s book, he tells of the story of Henry Box, an American slave who mailed himself in a 3 ft. square box from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her writing is clear and concise, making the book a comprehensible read for younger readers. At the same time, the images that her words convey make the book piercing enough to intrigue adult readers. Levine uses symbolism to convey the underlying themes of the book. For example, she writes of a young Henry being given to another owner away from his family. As his parents are tearfully hugging him goodbye, Henry spots a bird soaring through the air and notes the bird’s freedom as he thinks, “Free bird! Happy bird!” She also uses symbolism as a means of foreshadowing. In the beginning of the book, Henry and his mother are watching the autumn leaves fall to the ground. His mother makes a chilling remark, “They are torn from the trees like slave children are torn from their families.” The aforementioned scene, where Henry watches the unrestrained bird, he also notices the leaves aimlessly swirling in the wind.
The illustrations by Kadir Nelson give us the feeling of peeking into the windows of Henry’s world. Nelson worked with oil paints and pencil to create bold, emotional images of this book’s characters. The tones of the illustrations are apropos to the story, muted and deep. Nelson uses soft brush strokes to show us a warm scene of a young Henry resting securely in his mother’s tender arms. In contrast, he potently draws with tighter lines on more crowded and complex images to convey the chaotic and frantic feel of Henry searching for his wife and children at a slave market. One of my favorite illustrations by Nelson is his depiction of Henry turned upside down in his wooden crate. The image is large and bold, spanning across two pages. Nelson draws the box as though one side is made of glass, and you can see Henry’s forehead and hand tightly pressed against the pane while lines of agony are painted down Henry’s poignant face.
Review Excerpts
Caldecott Honor Book
Starred in Booklist: “Transcending technique in the humanity Nelson imbues in his characters, especially Brown and his mother---her dream of freedom deferred, his amazingly achieved.”
New York Times Best Seller
Connections
*This book could be used as an opening to discussions about slavery in the history of the United States.
*Gather other books illustrated by Kadir Nelson that pertain to slavery or civil rights.
Rappaport, Doreen. Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln. ISBN 9781423104087
Shange, Ntozake. Coretta Scott. ISBN 9780061253645
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom.
ISBN 9780786851751
*This book can be used in conjunction with Henry’s Freedom Box lesson plan found at
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32442
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