Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters (1994)
Authors: Patricia C. McKissack and Frederick L. McKissack
Illustrator: John Thompson
This picturebook, set in 1859, contrasts the lives of slaves and masters in this story rich with historical information. The McKissacks have included features that bring the story alive, such as the dialects, rhymes and song lyrics, recipes, and details about herbs, all of which are explained either in the text of the story or in the glossary of terms included at the end of the book.
The acrylic paintings in this richly historical book are complementary to the text, giving a realistic portrayal of events described in the story. In one image slaves are depicted scrubbing a floor from a bird’s eye perspective, a view that a master might have of them. The gravity of their chores and the depth of their troubles is also portrayed in this moving image.
The text is primarily presented in Times New Roman font, and the layout of the book is formal and mirrors the many formalities between slaves and their masters described in the book. The back cover of the jacket features the Big House with the white family in front of it with the slave quarters and the slave family pictured directly underneath. Elegant red chapter titles are Tuscan Italian, an ornamental typeface introduced in 1859.
Everything about this text is extensively researched and thus an excellent representation of two distinct perpectives. Dialogue and details in the book provide a plethora of discussion points in relation to the study of American history, providing a juxtaposition of two worlds in close proximity.
No comments:
Post a Comment