The escape of Robert Smalls: A daring voyage out of slavery by Jehan Jones-Radgowski, illustrated by Poppy Kang

This picture book is another addition to Capstone's narrative nonfiction titles. They present historical events and people in an appropriate and realistic way to young readers and listeners. This one is set in the Civil War and tells the story of the brave and daring Robert Smalls.

Smalls, a slave, was determined to escape and made a daring plan to do so - steal and sail a Confederate ship to freedom. His plan was no last-minute decision; he had performed most of the functions of the ship at one time or another, his master having hired him out to the steamship captain, but he would have to impersonate the captain, sail it past multiple Confederate forts, and then get to the Union blockade without being attacked as a rebel ship. If caught, he and the others who joined him would be brutally punished.

Sixteen crewmembers and their families chose to join Robert Smalls and after lengthy preparations, he prepared their daring escape. Disguised as Captain Relyea, short two crewmembers who had grown frightened of the potential consequences and fled, with their frightened families on board, Robert Smalls took the steamship out into the harbor on a dark night. There was no chance of sneaking past the forts with a noisy steamship; their only chance was to successfully impersonate the Confederate captain and crew. Once past the forts, they faced more danger; the heavy fog hid their flag of surrender from the Union blockade and a warship prepared to fire. At the last moment, they were saved.

Simple explanations of slavery and the Civil War are included throughout the book. A more detailed afterword explains more details of this historical period and follows Robert Smalls during and after the war, from his service in the navy to the House of Representatives. There is also a glossary, additional reading, and brief notes on the author and illustrator. The final pages includes image credits and source bibliography.

Verdict: This treats slavery and the very real threats faced by Robert Smalls and those who escaped with him honestly but without graphic detail. The story is told in an exciting, but not sensationalized manner. It definitely fills a gap in telling the stories of escaped slaves and I would highly recommend it.

ISBN: 9781543512816; Published September 2019 by Capstone; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library