Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Let it Begin Here: Lexington and Concord, First Battles of the American Revoluti
Illustrator: Larry Day
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Walker Books for Young Readers, 2005 ISBN: 978-0802789457
Paul Revere, a silversmith by trade and a patriot by inclination has been given the task to warn two of his fellow patriots and the people of Lexington that that British are coming. Later that very day Paul makes his famous journey which begins when two of his friends row him across the Charles River to Charlestown.
Then Paul rides hard towards Lexington, warning as many people along the way as he can. At around midnight he arrives at his destination and warns John Hancock and Samuel Adams that British ""regulars"" are coming. The two men flee the town and are able to get to safety.
Next Paul heads for Concord. He is joined on this leg of his journey by one Dr. Samuel Prescott. It is a good thing that the doctor joins him for Paul is captured by a group of British troops but the doctor is able to get away and he takes on the job of warning Concord of the coming trouble.
What followed were the very first battles of the American Revolutionary War, the first real indications to the British crown that the American colonists were not going to lie down and be quiet. For the Americans it was a reminder that getting their freedom was going to be a costly business and that they should only pursue their bid for independence if they were sure that they were willing to pay the price.
Simply and skilfully told to give the reader a sense of what exactly happened in Lexington and Concord on those fateful days in April in 1775, this picture book would make an excellent addition to any child's library.
The author has included maps, an introduction, an afterword, and other information to supplement and further clarify the text.
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