I was initially attracted to this book because of the artwork (by Mike Benny), which is a little reminiscent of the graphic novel “Bayou,” written and illustrated by Jeremy Love.
Illustrations from Bayou
Bayou, however, is too scary for young children; The Listeners, which tells a story of what life was like for children under slavery, is quite suitable for children.
Young Ella May and her friends, Bobby and Sue, pick cotton all day. Their most important work, however, begins at night, when they hide under their master’s window, listen for news and information, and run back home to report it. In this way, the adults know what to expect and can plan for how to deal with it.
This book has no scenes of horror. Clearly slaves are not free, but young readers will not be burdened with nightmarish scenes sometimes common to slavery.
There are happy moments in the book back at the slave cabins: the joy of family and food and community; dancing to music heard from the master’s house, and the news that Abraham Lincoln has been elected to be President of the United States. Slaves knew what that meant:
“Daddy says, ‘Moses is come! We’re going to be free like the children of Israel. It’s the Jubilee for sure!”
When Ella May asks her daddy if that means their listening job is over, her daddy assures us that the listening is just begun:
“We see the road, but we don’t see all the way to where the ending is. We got to know how long is that road and how we get down it.”
Evaluation: For an introduction to slavery, I can’t imagine a nicer book. And the illustrations by Mike Benny are beautiful.
Rating: 4/5
Published by Sleeping Bear Press, 2010
Note: You can find an online teacher’s guide here.
Rhapsody in Books Weblog 
This books sounds wonderful! I have a children’s book that I need to feature for Black History Month too! Would you mind linking up this post to my Kid’s Konnection post on Saturday?
I’ve seen this book around. It sounds so lovely! Thanks for this review and for sharing the beautiful pictures. I’m going to go request it from my library. 🙂
Great review! The illustrations are gorgeous and this sounds like a wonderful book to share with your children any time of year.
I won a copy of this book from She Is Too Fond of Books. The first time I read it to my four-year-old granddaughter, her eyes were huge, moving from me to the books. I could see her brain trying to take it all in. Her first comment at the end of the book was, “Those children are so important.” It led to more discussion on the next dozen readings. Her older sister liked the art work and their mother has taken the book to her classroom to read to her students (third/fourth graders). A very well received book in our family.
What gorgeous illustrations! I didn’t know Whelan wrote this one!! She lives about 3 hours north of me and I almost had her talked into coming to my school to do an author visit!!
This sounds like a great book! I’ll have to see if our local library has it. Slavery is a tough topic to introduce to kids.
This looks like a wonderful read! I want to look for this one too!
I love those illustrations!
This book looks great! One that would definitely be wonderful for using in my classroom during Black History Month. The name of my school is Harriet Tubman Elementary!
Teachers and librarians,
While this book looks lovely please remember that children need contemporary and fun books about black people. Black History should encompass more than slavery.
You say Black History Month and most kids thinks slavery, school lessons. The last thing they think is fun. We’ve made plenty of history since the Civil War.
And while I don’t want to scare children, I’m not sure I want children focusing on happy times during slavery. If we’re going to talk about slavery as a way to teach a lesson then we need to be clear why it was ugly and I think we can do that without playing up slaves laughing and dancing.
Having read this book, the book doesn’t solely focus on happy times during slavery. I do think that it is very well rounded and that children reading the book will understand that being a slave was not all fun and games. But what I did appreciate about it was that within the family setting, they enjoyed each others company. Why shouldn’t they enjoy their family and find solace and comfort in them? Naturally, they felt the entire range of human emotion, both sorrow and happiness, and this book illustrated both equally well.
There’s no good reason why slaves SHOULDN’T have enjoyed their families and found “comfort and solace” in them, but there is a question of the extent to which they COULD have done so. As we all know, maintaining the integrity of the family was a luxury unavailable to slaves, so if the book places emphasis on the joy and security offered by the intact family, surely the issue of the ROMANTICIZATION of slavery becomes a concern. I’ve not read the book and therefore don’t want to say too much, but for the overall point about how BHM emphasizes only select episodes (the most traumatic ones) of Black history, I agree with Susan.
Thanks, Brook.
This is what I love about the blogosphere: the opportunity for real exchange and and to connect. Thanks for restating what I was trying to make clear.
I just wanted to clarify the family bit.
The book clearly indicates that one of the large reasons the children “listen” is because they never knew when they might be separated from their children or their spouses. In one scene as they are listening, one of the children discovers that there is a possibility that her father might be sold. The other girl with her knows all too well what that is like as her daddy was sold away last year and hasn’t seen him since.
I am of the belief that the book does not romanticize slavery but rather is an age appropriate book which for many young children may be their first introduction to the subject.
Natasha,
I don’t think I implied the book focused on happy slaves. I said let’s be careful not to put too much emphasis on images of dancing, happy slaves.
Why zero in on that point when I used that point to address a larger issue: the emphasis on slave narratives during Black History Month?
I don’t want to hijack the thread so please check out my longer response at Black-Eyed Susan’s.
There is plenty of history and figures to review this month. I won’t say all, but I think children many associate the month only with slavery and Civil Rights.
I’m not a betting woman, but I’m pretty sure the majority of reviews this month are going to be weighted heavily towards slavery and Civil Rights and that leaves out a lot of history.
http://blackeyedsusans.blogspot.com/2010/02/readers-response-black-history-month.html
Susan and Brooks,
I think one point to be emphasized is that this is a book for very young children, not those old enough to read about beatings, mutilation, rape, etc.
Jill,
I don’t think either of us are suggesting this book should include graphic details. Our point is not to romanticize or reduce the situation to the pleasantries.
The majority of the readers here focused on how ‘lovely’ the book is. And I am hesitant to point out this is another book about slavery written by a white author getting lots of support and praise. Why not read and promote a book by a black writer about black history?
And if it was too much to visit my post, I’ll say here that I’d like to white readers and educators expanding their reading of Black History. Our history didn’t begin and end with slavery and Civil Rights. This month is an opportunity to learn more about fellow Americans. Can we broaden the scope?
Susan,
I know this is a small point, but I too hesitated to use the word “lovely” – but really, it only refers to the illustrations. Yet, still, one is reluctant to use that word to characterize anything to do with such a thing as slavery.
I too hope readers go over to your post and read your thoughts about black history. Here, in case you missed it above, is the link:
http://blackeyedsusans.blogspot.com/2010/02/readers-response-black-history-month.html
Thanks Jill,
Thanks for the space to speak freely. I hope readers note that you and I have a good relationship and we’re not afraid to speak openly with one another.
Susan, did you read the book? I am curious if your point of view regarding the book is from an actual reading or assumptions. We must be careful of what we speak about.