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mbrandmaier's review against another edition
5.0
This wordless picture book depicts scenes from the most shameful time in human history, when millions of Africans were violently kidnapped from their homes and transported overseas into lives of slavery; that is if they survived the deplorable conditions in which they were imprisoned. The artwork truly captures the awfulness of it all.
heregrim's review against another edition
5.0
Worldless and more powerful because of that. I picked this up thinking I might be able to use it with my students. I could, but there are some images of rape and nudity that would not be appropriate for the age level I teach. Still, this will probably be a book that I will own for use where and when I can.
duke_and_turk's review against another edition
5.0
The velvety images and flowing compositions of each page, quite literally, took my breath away. But for all the softness and delicacy of his style, Tom Feelings uses his considerable talents to depict the brutality and horror of the slave trade. This juxtaposition of style and content was startling; with each turn of the page I received a new jolt of emotion. The violence, the brutality, the fear and hopelessness that Feelings captured has clung to me since I've closed the book. I can't loosen the images of inhumanity and terror that he managed to so delicately portray. Beautiful and heartbreaking. Stunning and terrible. I don't think I've seen a book quite like this one.
*The content of this book is graphic and upsetting. There are many depictions of violence, death, and rape. The publisher's age recommendation is 12 and up. But I would consider the sensitivity of each child on a case by case basis to determine if this would be an appropriate recommendation.*
*The content of this book is graphic and upsetting. There are many depictions of violence, death, and rape. The publisher's age recommendation is 12 and up. But I would consider the sensitivity of each child on a case by case basis to determine if this would be an appropriate recommendation.*
ama_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Striking illustrations of the journey of slaves from their homeland in Africa to the New World.
iffer's review against another edition
5.0
This book, in which there are no words, save the author's powerful foreward about his journey to slavery and back to create this novel, is set of black and white drawings of the capture and transport of black Africans to the Americas for use as slaves. This book is, by far, not a picture book in the sense that you share it with small children. Rather, it utilizes pictures to convey the horror and dehumanizing nature of slavery. I think that this book would be especially good to incorporate in middle school or high school classrooms to really put slavery in perspective. Too often, we study events in history, and are intellectually aware of their occurrence, but lack a true understanding and human emotional connection to the events. Because of this, we relegate appalling historical events to the past, fail to tie them to present social injustices, and cease to be vigilant about our actions and the actions of present society.
mrs_erven's review against another edition
5.0
The most beautiful and painful picture book about European/American enslavement that we’ve ever read.
margaret_j_c's review against another edition
5.0
Really really horrendously, brutally.....beautiful. And disgusting and full of shame. And still so beautiful.
5elementknitr's review against another edition
5.0
This story is told entirely with wordless art.
The book, however, starts with about 12 pages of text-heavy script. The author's intro (it was such a difficult subject, it took a lifetime for him to start, then another 20 years on top of that to complete), his son's thoughts, and an historical context from a professor.
The art... Wow. It is so disturbing and captivating. No words needed to recognize the pain and anguish within.
The book, however, starts with about 12 pages of text-heavy script. The author's intro (it was such a difficult subject, it took a lifetime for him to start, then another 20 years on top of that to complete), his son's thoughts, and an historical context from a professor.
The art... Wow. It is so disturbing and captivating. No words needed to recognize the pain and anguish within.
skersh68's review against another edition
4.0
In this book on the Middle Passage by Tom Feelings he describes the historic ordeal through photography. The Middle Passage was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the New World as part of the Atlantic Slave Trade. These ships were referred to as white ships/Black Cargo. Some people even referred to the Middle Passage as the Black Holocaust. There is no text that accompanies his photographs because Feelings wants each reader to use his or her own imagination. Feelings I believed wanted the reader to come up with his or her own story as to what happen during this time. I must warn you that most of these photos are graphic and you can see the torture that the slaves were put through when Africans were forced to leave their native home.