Liberty Lee's Tail of Independence

Gr 1–3—In rhyming text, Liberty Lee, a mouse, presents a highly simplified version of the early history of the United States and how the Declaration of Independence was written. Lee says his great-great-great grandfather was an early colonist. Commenting on the founding of Jamestown and the development of the 13 colonies through the mid-1700s, he says, "For most, these were peaceful and prosperous years." The illustration of Jamestown makes it look like a thriving, cheerful place, with no mention of conflicts with Native people, disease, or starvation. The French and Indian War is skipped to go straight to the Intolerable Acts. The conceit of having the mouse tell the story does not work as well as Robert Lawson's classic Ben and Me. Lee is merely reporting; he does not add to the story directly. This idealized account does not mention slavery or the conflicts within the Congress. King George is the only enemy. The illustrations, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, have an amateurish quality and lack a sense of drama. The members of the Continental Congress mostly are indistinguishable except for their hair color, and the battle scenes look like a child has arranged toy soldiers. Suzanne Jurmain's Worst of Friends (Dutton, 2011) and Barbara Kerley's Those Rebels, John and Tom (Scholastic, 2012) are much more informative and entertaining.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA