Henry and the Cannons
An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution
Don Brown
Roaring Brook Press
Before Washington crossed the Delaware, Henry Knox crossed Massachusetts in winter—with 59 cannons in tow.
In 1775 in the dead of winter, a bookseller named Henry Knox dragged 59 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston—225 miles of lakes, forest, mountains, and few roads. It was a feat of remarkable ingenuity and determination and one of the most remarkable stories of the revolutionary war. In Henry and the Cannons the perils and adventure of his journey come to life through Don Brown's vivid and evocative artwork.
NCSS-CBC: Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Praise for Henry and the Cannons
“Brown is a keen translator of historical fact for young readers.... [He] keeps the material at age-level by emphasizing aspects of the story that bring Knox's adventure to life--the difficulty of riding 40 miles a day to the fort on horseback in the freezing rain, of picking out the best cannons, of hauling a stuck boat over a stubborn rock. Sequenced panels capture some of the action, and Brown's words are equally vivid. 'Muscles and breath burned,' he writes of the volunteers who helped him, as they're 'pulling and tugging, lifting and yanking, hauling and lugging' the cannons out of icy water. Brown's watercolors, a minimally differentiated wash of blues, grays and faded brown, are done in a loose, almost sketched style, and the inked lines are fluid and dynamic.” —The New York Times online
“Brown brings to life a complex undertaking.” —Kirkus
“Stylized watercolors heighten the drama and occasional humor of Knox's trek without turning into cartoons.” —The Horn Book
“This entertaining tale will be great to use along with studies of George Washington and the Revolutionary War.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“The picture-book format directs this at a young audience, but upper elementary history teachers should welcome this title as a springboard or supplement to a Revolutionary War unit.” —BCCB
“Brown is a keen translator of historical fact for young readers.... [He] keeps the material at age-level by emphasizing aspects of the story that bring Knox's adventure to life--the difficulty of riding 40 miles a day to the fort on horseback in the freezing rain, of picking out the best cannons, of hauling a stuck boat over a stubborn rock. Sequenced panels capture some of the action, and Brown's words are equally vivid. 'Muscles and breath burned,' he writes of the volunteers who helped him, as they're 'pulling and tugging, lifting and yanking, hauling and lugging' the cannons out of icy water. Brown's watercolors, a minimally differentiated wash of blues, grays and faded brown, are done in a loose, almost sketched style, and the inked lines are fluid and dynamic.” —The New York Times online
“Brown brings to life a complex undertaking.” —Kirkus
“Stylized watercolors heighten the drama and occasional humor of Knox's trek without turning into cartoons.” —The Horn Book
“This entertaining tale will be great to use along with studies of George Washington and the Revolutionary War.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“The picture-book format directs this at a young audience, but upper elementary history teachers should welcome this title as a springboard or supplement to a Revolutionary War unit.” —BCCB
In the Press
This recounting of a dramatic wartime episode revisits the era Brown spotlighted in Let It Begin Here! In the winter of 1775, the British army occupied Boston while George Washington and his troops we - Publishers Weekly
'Henry and the Cannons,' by Don Brown - NYTimes.com
"Henry and the Cannons," written and illustrated by Don Brown, tells the true story of a Boston bookstore owner who got involved in the American Revolutionary War. - The New York Times
Reviews from Goodreads
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