Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution

Author: Don Brown
Publisher: Roaring Brook, 2013
Age Range: Grades 2-5
Lexile: 820L
ISBN: 9781596432666

Recognition
Starred Review in School Library Journal
Junior Library Guild selection


Henry and the Cannons tells the story of  Boston bookseller, Henry Knox, who went on a grueling journey during the winter of 1775 to retrieve cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in New York and deliver them to General Washington and his army who were camped out above British-occupied Boston.

The book is both written and illustrated by Don Brown.  The story is told in a very straightforward style that could easily be followed by young children, even if they lack understanding of much of the larger context of the American Revolution.  The muted colors in Brown's watercolor illustrations are very attractive yet communicate the bleak, wintry conditions of Knox's journey.

Some of the pages are divided into panels, allowing the illustrations to more powerfully indicate action and the passage of time.

Henry and the Cannons incorporates three direct quotes from Henry Knox himself (they are the only quotations in the book).  Curious about whether the quotes were historically accurate, I looked at the book's bibliography.  None of the sources listed were primary sources themselves, but a webpage on the list, The Knox Trail-History, contained transcriptions of primary sources.  The webpage, hosted by the New York State Museum, tells the complete story of Henry Knox's mission.  It incorporates many excerpts from the diary that Knox kept at the time as well as letters that he sent to Washington and others.  Each of the three quotations that Brown incorporated in his book can be found in primary sources excerpted on this webpage.

Although Henry and the Cannons is targeted to students in lower elementary grades, it could definitely be read and enjoyed by fifth grade students who are studying the American Revolution (covered by Indiana academic standards for 5th grade social studies).  The picture book is a much more appealing way to learn about this historical event than a textbook's rendition.  The fact that the book includes quotations from Knox could be a great way to introduce students to the concept of primary sources.  The teacher or librarian could ask the students, "How do we know that that is what Henry Knox really said?"  Then they could explain to students how primary sources can give us an idea of what really happened in the past.  Students could then look at the Knox Trail webpage and read other pieces of Knox's writings, adding depth to their knowledge of Knox and the historical event.  The primary sources would also allow students to see how spelling and grammar have changed over the past couple hundred years.

An Amazon preview of Henry and the Cannons is available HERE.

Learn more about Don Brown and his books by visiting his website- Books by Brown.

His book, Let It Begin Here!: April 19, 1775: The Day the American Revolution Began (Roaring Brook, 2008) makes a good companion to Henry and the Cannons.

For another great picture book about Henry Knox, check out Anita Silvey's Henry Knox: Bookseller, Soldier, Patriot (Clarion, 2010).