Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

BOOK REVIEW: Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

CITATION:

Schroeder. Alan and Jerry Pinkney. Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1996.

SUMMARY:

In this book about Harriet Tubman as a child, readers are introduced to the oppressions and violence that accompanied slavery. Tubman’s childhood is set on a plantation and she is a strong-willed and determined young girl who is often punished because she does obey her slave owner when it conflicts with her beliefs. Her father teaches her how to survive in the wilderness, knowing that someday she will break free. An author’s note explains that Tubman’s courage and belief in what is right helped her save many slaves through the Underground Railroad.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Minty, about the young Harriet Tubman, is a fictional story but the simple facts are true. Harriet, known as “Minty” as a child, was a slave in the 1820s on a Maryland plantation and endured a difficult life. Offering an authentic representation Minty’s strong personality, readers will understand how her perseverance and strength helped her as an adult conducting the Underground Railroad.

The setting of this story is consistent with Maryland plantations during the 1820s, as explained by the authors who did extensive research before creating this book. Mrs. Brodas’s house, where Minty worked, shows an exposed brick fireplace, spindle legs on furniture, and curtains and tablecloths consistent with the period. The full-color illustrations by Pinkney are done with pencil, colored pencils, and watercolor and show exquisite details about life on a plantation. The illustrations show Minty’s family’s skin tone, facial features, clothing, and homes in a realistic way. The portrayal of Minty’s exposed back being whipped by the slave owner was horrifying, but accurate of the treatment of many slaves. After that incident, Minty’s father knew she would one day run away, so he set to helping her learn how to survive by navigating the stars, reading trees for the Northern direction, and catching and skinning animals.

This book celebrates diversity because it shows the rich history for which African Americans come from. Readers will see through this story that an unlikely person can be a hero when compelled to do the right thing and harness the courage to do so. While this story ends with Minty still on the plantation, readers can be satisfied knowing that she broke free of slavery as an adult and helped many others escape to freedom too.

Themes of endurance and strength can be seen clearly from this story. It can be harsh for children to truly ponder the sad truth that slaves were often treated this poorly, but it is important that these stories are told. The format of this book is spectacular, with complex and enriching illustrations and a straight-forward style of storytelling. There is no sugar-coating the harshness of how Minty was treated, but readers will celebrate her drive to stay true to herself and preserve through the egregious trials of growing up as a slave. An Author’s Note at the end explains how Minty eventually became the conductor of the Underground Railroad. An explanation of that operation helps readers grasp the courage of Harriet Tubman.

REVIEWS EXCERPTS:

Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator (1997),

California Book Award Silver Medal for Juvenile (1996)

From Booklist:

“Set on the Maryland plantation where Harriet Tubman ("Minty" ) was raised a slave, this fictionalized story dramatizes what daily life was like for her as a child. Schroeder's words are clear and strong. There's no gracious big house here, no happy slave. The angry Missus sends the "difficult" slave child Minty to work in the fields. When the overseer orders her to check the muskrat traps, she sets the animals free and is whipped for it. Pinkney's realistic portraits are powerful, and, as in John Henry (1994), the dappled double-page landscapes connect the strong child hero with the might of the natural world. Her mother tells her to "pat the lion," but her father knows she means to run away, and several idyllic paintings show him teaching her to read the night sky and swim in the river and survive in the woods. The blend of fact and fiction is occasionally problematic (was she really planning escape at eight years old, or was that age chosen to suit the picture-book audience?), but kids will be moved by the picture of secret childhood rebellion in someone who grew up to lead hundreds to freedom.”

From Kirkus Reviews:

“A fictional extrapolation of a few facts about Harriet Tubman's childhood--her unruliness, her punishments, and her plans for escape from slavery. ``Minty'' is a small, high-spirited child, cherishing a few moments away from the mistress, Mrs. Brodas, who burns Minty's doll when the girl doesn't come when she's called. From that day, Minty becomes a field slave and begins to acquire the information she needs from others for her future journey.”

CONNECTIONS:

Minty would pair well with Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney’s John Henry. Students would enjoy these two books with similar formats. Both books set forth to share the determination of the protagonists while upholding a true representation of life as an African American in the 1820s-1830s.

Minty would also be an excellent addition to a unit on African American heroes.