This is such a fascinating story of how a group of slaves were able to escape and even thwart the plans of the Confederacy while they were at it! The pictures and vocabulary are perfect to go along with this exciting and true adventure!

I am so happy this book exists! Robert Smalls is an American hero who hasn't gotten nearly as many national holidays and monuments as he deserves.

This story does an excellent job of describing just how dangerous the mission was, and just how brave and clever Mr. Smalls had to have been.

Maybe we can get a sequel? :)

The Escape of Robert Smalls is a great elementary/middle-school grade appropriate read about a historical figure Robert Smalls. Great presentation of history along with beautiful artwork.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Editor's note, a revised and edited version of this review is scheduled to appear in print and online in Mountain Times (Boone, NC) Oct. 1, 2019

Publisher Capstone Editions offers a pair of publications this fall targeting a young audience and a difficult subject: slavery. Under Capstone's stewardship, both stories are handled exceedingly well.
"The Escape of Robert Smalls," competently written by Jhan Jones Radgowski and ably illustrated by Poppy King tells the too rarely publicized story of Smalls — a slave who through guile, guts and luck manages to outwit the Confederate Army, learns to pilot a warship, sails through enemy lines and eventually becomes a captain in the Union forces. Along the way, he manages to rescue 15 enslaved comrades and family members and return — after he is assured freedom — to use the reward money he earned from his derring-do to purchase the former site of his southern enslavement. An ultimate tale of justice and righteous revenge.
Jones-Radgowski is a skillful and seasoned storyteller, and presents well what could be difficult story material for the grades 3-4 intended audience. King's soft-focus drawing similarly presents a sharp picture of the story's key moments and offer a compelling visual tale of Smalls' struggle for freedom. This unusual tale will undoubtedly prompt a larger audience to research Smalls' life and liberty.

See a separate entry under "Ona Judge Outwits the Washingtons" for the second part of this review (which will be complied for publication).

I learned about Robert Smalls for the first time when I read this book! Students will find his daring escape fascinating, and it helps bring the plight of enslaved people to light. The illustrations also add to the story and help students understand. I particularly liked the glossary at the end of the book. This will be a great addition to our picture books about the Civil War.

I have studied history and never heard this story. Now I want to know more about Robert Smalls. I think his bravery and quick thinking are something to be admired. I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read this book. I think we need more stories like this, showing the heroes of history that have been hidden or that haven't gotten the chance to have their stories shared.

As a teacher, I would love to share this book with my class. I think that my students would enjoy this story and also it would teach them about someone they probably don't know and show how brave and resourceful people had to be to save themselves and the people they cared about.

This is an excellent book. I was fortunate enough to receive an arc from #netgalley. I will definitely look to get a copy for my classroom. It is a perfect read aloud to discuss the Civil War,

This illustrated book on the journey to freedom of Robert Smalls, his crew and their families was a nice lesson on African American history. There are not many stories of successful freedom seekers particularly those from escaping from the South Carolina area. The book offers a glimpse into the emotions of Robert Smalls and his fellow freedom seekers. It provided insight into how Mr. Smalls managed to evade capture by the Confederate armies as well as the Union.. The contents of the book are helpful to children and young adults ages seven and up. I look forward to more stories from the Deep South and the freedom seekers.

The story of how Robert Smalls, a slave during the Civil War, managed to steal Confederate steamship Planter and captain it and a number of escaped slaves to freedom in Union territory is one of those almost-too-good-to-be-true stories. Jehan Jones-Radgowski (writer) and Poppy Kang (illustrator) don’t, I’d say, give the amazing tale its due justice in Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery, but they do offer up a solid narrative with its moments of suspense.

The story opens with a nicely atmospheric moment, with crickets chirping, water lapping, the murmuring of men on the docks, and then the “thump, thump, thump of Robert Smalls’ racing heart.” Then there’s some exposition—brief explanations of slavery, the war, how the Planter’s captain Charles Relyea, against policy, left the ship the night of May 12, 1962, in Small’s hands. We then get a quick dive into Smalls’ background, focusing on how he gained his seaman skills, rising in ranks until he attained the position of wheelman. After this bit of personal history, the story moves forward to the beginnings of Small’s plan to steal the ship, how he learned to mimic Captain Relyea’s “look” at the wheel — his stance, his movements, and as well the passcodes to allow the ship safe passage past forts, important information as on the night of the escape they’d have to get past two heavily armed forts on their ten-mile journey to Union territory.

Two of his fellow slave shipmates got cold feet and backed out, leading the rest to worry their plan would be revealed, but they put it into action anyway, moving away from the docks, stopping to pick up their families hiding nearby, then continuing on, past several heart-stopping encounters with a gunship, the first fort, and then Fort Sumter, who realized too late something was amiss, so that by the time they started firing the Planter was out of range. The escapade ends with the ship convincing a hostile Union ship not to fire, though it was a close call. In an afterword, Jones-Radgowski gives some broader history on the institution of American slavery, the war, , the Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery, and then Smalls’ later life as a congressman and Navy captain.

As noted, it’s a solid enough retelling. The prose is a bit pedestrian both in language and syntax, and could have benefitted from some more sensual detail. The voice is also a bit distant, and it would have been nice to have had a sharper sense of the people, the stakes, maybe seen some of the story from, say, a child’s point of view or one of the people putting their trust in Smalls, beyond a few times where the story tells us they crouched in fear. The illustrations are lovely in their muted colors, appropriate for the foggy night. Inclusion of a map is a nice touch, and the illustrator makes good use of light, as when its focused on some of the hidden family members or in the windows of Fort Sumter to highlight the vigilant soldiers.

The story of Robert Smalls is so incredible, and so affected these lives, that it just felt that while the book does a decent job of conveying the facts and some suspense, it fell a little short in style, voice, character. A recommended read for its content for sure, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the story tackled in a more effective, and affecting, manner.

When it comes to freedom, one is willing to risk anything. Robert Smalls was no exception, and he was not only thinking of himself. He took a total of 16 people to freedom, after stealing a confederate steamboat.
This amazing story is great for kids who are learning the history of the United States. Not only was Robert Smalls a slave, but he ended up serving the United States government in the house of Representatives.

This is one amazing story and it deserves to be shared! Get this and read it to your kids now!

Thank you to NetGalley and this publisher for allowing an advanced viewing of this book.

It is important that children find role models in whom they can see similarities and likeness to themselves.
The fact that this man looked much like his caucasian counterpart is wonderful. We have so few differences. I love when the similarities are the focus.

I think students will be encouraged by this book. They will feel a sense of adventure as the crew and their families pass each point in their journey and root for their success. We need more instances when we root for each other. Thank you for providing one.

What an exciting story! I've actually heard about this escape, but this book brings it to life quite nicely. It mixes the right amount of tension with historical information. I'd highly recommend this story of bravery and adventure.

I really enjoyed the illustrations as well. Love the one that compares the Confederate captain of the boat to Robert Smalls!

Note: This is a picture book meant for older children. (Not that younger kids couldn't read it. But the word count is fairly high for a picture book.)

**I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

The Escape of Robert Smalls is a very informative book about how Robert Smalls and a small crew of enslaved men, along with their families, were able to escape the South aboard a Confederate ship to find their freedom in the North.

The story is engaging and well written for it's intended audience (9 - 12 year old children). The wonderful illustrations that accompanied the text helped tell the story and will be appealing to any student who picks this book up. I think that will be a great read-aloud to 3rd - 5th grade students.

4.5 stars
Very well done, historically accurate story. Book is perfect balance between a good story that can be read to a child or a book that can be used to teach. Good detail of the time and the escape that Robert Smalls orchestrated for himself and several other slaves in Charleston in May 1862.
Well illustrated in a simple format. Very enjoyable. And a good appendix that goes into more historical details for those interested. A nice balance.
Thank you to the author!
Thank you NetGalley and publishers, Capstone Editions, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this digital ARC.

This informational text about Robert Smalls escape from slavery is targeted to young readers. It has great illustrations that accompany an informative and narrative-style text that will keep young readers engaged and interested. The author does a great job of including the truth of the situation while keeping the language and content at a level in which young readers can comprehend.

The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery relates the thrilling story of Robert Smalls, an American slave who, along with a crew comprised of other slaves, risked capture, punishment, and most likely death to free themselves and their families from slavery, three years before the end of the American Civil War.

Smalls' master hired him out to work in the seaside town of Charleston, where he began work as a deckhand, eventually working his way up to the role of wheelman, or pilot of the CSS Planter. Smalls learned how to navigate Charleston Harbor, and desiring freedom, used his wits to devise a plan of escape for himself and others. Illustrator Poppy Kang's bold artwork perfectly illustrates the storyline; her color scheme primarily uses warm and cool blue and brown tones, which not only reflect the story's maritime and nighttime settings, but also provides stimulating visual contrast which complements the action of the story. Author Jhan Jones-Radgowski, in turn, paints a picture with words, effectively conveying the sights, sounds, and activity of Charleston Harbor. The author's word choice, sentence length, and sentence structure are ideal for its intended audience of readers ages 9-12 years; Jones-Radgowski's writing style also works to create dramatic tension and keep readers of all ages engaged and eagerly turning each page to see what happens next.

The book contains an informative afterword to give more detailed information about the life of Robert Smalls, slavery, and the Civil War, a glossary, and suggested readings and bibliography, This book is well written, informative, and treats what some might consider challenging subject matter factually and with candor. I highly recommend this book for inclusion in library collections.

This was a fantastic book depicting the heroic acts of Robert Smalls. The graphics in this book are appropriate for children of all ages and the story follows traditional tales of this story. This book is well put together and definitely a great book for students to use to gain information or it would also make a great read-aloud for a classroom teacher during a civil war or black history lesson. Highly recommend!

This is the story of Robert Smalls, a slave during the Civil War who made an daring escape to freedom. Told in a picture book format that is easily accessible for children, makes an excellent addition to any classroom. Especially timely for Black History Month and any unit studying slavery.

The Escape of Robert Smalls is a well done, illustrated book, focusing on Robert Smalls who planned and executed an escape from slavery during the Civil War. With the simplicity of the language, young readers can understand the historical context, although some vocabulary is challenging but appropriate. The author provides both a glossary and an afterward, which enhances the historical value of using this book in the classroom or teaching. Enticing young readers or listeners, the author artfully employs tension to move the story along, emphasizing the risks and dangers encountered in an escape. Simple illustrations enhance the book showing both content and historical accuracy, including maps. This book would be an excellent addition to a unit on the Civil War, Black Americans, or courage. It is appropriate for ages 9-12.

Amazing tale of history of Robert Smalls, an enslaved man who sailed himself, the crew and their families to freedom. Very well told, great pictures and exciting story.