This true story is about a small nation called Estonia. It documents their struggle to rise up once again from their ashes after being taken over by Russia, Germany, and then by the Soviet Union.

World War 11 brings bullets and tanks into their land and people are forced to give up their flag, their language, and their most beloved possession... their spirit. But a flicker of hope never totally dies. Hope burns brightly inside of them and is expressed through their music.

Yearly they hold a song festival called the Laulupidu where singing groups gather from all over the country. They dress in their traditional garb and together sing songs. Often more than 30,000 singers assemble to harmonize together.

The Soviets censor all their traditional Estonian songs. All but one..."Land of My Fathers, Land That I Love," is overlooked. The brave Estonians decide to take a risk and sing that patriotic song at the music festival. They sing that song as the last one at their concert and with thousands of voices participating can not be stopped by the authorities.

In 1985, under Mikhail Gorbachev, the new leader of the Soviet Union, softens restrictions in the country. The Estonians, seeing their chance to break free, start talking about their history and celebrating their culture (cautiously of course) once again. They even talk about making changes in the government. Now that takes courage. They revert to singing Estonian songs and waving their flag proudly after 40 long years of repression.

The Baltic countries join in acts of open defiance with them... and this is the part I love the best...

"1,000,000 people from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, joined hands to form a human chain across their countries from the city of Tallinn to Vilnius in Lithuania. They joined hands in love and not violence."

When you read that you both want to cheer and to cry. Awesome!


These brave and determined people are not broken or irradiated but become one powerful voice for peace and liberty without using bullets or tanks. Violence didn't change their status. They did what they knew best. They raise their voices in song and in so doing they changed their world and regain their unique identity. They stand proud... they are Estonians!!!

The illustrations are strong and make the text come alive. Kids will get a better understanding of the story and the history of this nation because of them. This book captures the difficult, often dangerous, struggle of Estonia to rise out of their ruins and become a powerful, peaceful, unified, sovereign nation once again under their very own flag. I highly recommend this book.

An excellent combination of history and picture books for kids. Both informative and a fun read, with illustrations that kids will love.

Sing Freedom! A Country Wins its Freedom Through Song by Vanita Oelschlager. Vanita Books. Illustrated by Mike DeSantis. Children’s Nonfiction. 5 Stars. Another small, amazing Vanita Oelschlager book that is packed with lively images and historically correct information in celebration of a finally free Estonia. Great for your early-to-middle grade school child. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and VanitaBooks for providing this ebook for review.

The colorful illustrations and wonderfully told history of Estonia's musical journey to freedom make this a great selection for teaching history to children. I especially liked the point made that people sang to make a non-violent push for freedom. What a wonderful lesson to learn along side of all of the violence children are subjected to through the media and entertainment outlets.

Sing Freedom!
by Vanita Oelschlager
Estonia has a great tradition of song. But when the USSR took control of the country after World War II, they had a problem. The songs were changed, moved from their patriotic enthusiasm to Russian Soviet Doctrine. The oppressive Communist regime had a problem with their Authoritarian government, the people could not stand the world without their songs. Starting with forcing the acceptance of hidden meaning in their music the Estonians unified under song, and changed their world.

Sing Freedom! by Vanita Oelschlager is an inspiring a non-fiction story about Estonia, a small country near Russia, and its journey to regain independence after years of communist invasion. The book contained a great amount of historical information as well as geographical information. Invaded by USSR and Germany during WW2, communism later led to the demise of Estonia's flag, songs and customs. This is the story of how the people of Estonia revolted in song instead of violent actions

The story tells how Estonia, a small European country, won its freedom from the former Soviet Union by showing that the spirit of a people is stronger than tanks and bullets. They showed their spirit by singing together in song. It is a tastefully written and illustrated book for children about the unique singing revolution vs. a violent revolution that could have resulted in bloodshed. The illustrations are well done and easily communicate the mood with the colors and human expressions. A great book to use to discuss revolution and how to change something peacefully.

I received this ARC copy from Vanita Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sing Freedom! would provide an excellent launching point for discussion of voice, democracy and human rights for the young adult audience. The story text is strongly supported by background information. In the hands of youth, this book contains enough information to show the importance of Estonia's story.

Estonia, a place some might not be readily able to locate on a map, is the focus here--and how its courageous citizens banded together under an oppressive regime to sing of their love of country. Engaging read with equally pleasing, colorful illustrations. Adults will learn a thing or two as well. Maps and a glossary add to the book's value.