Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Ted Rand

• Age Range: 5 - 8 years
• Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Puffin Books; Reprint edition (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English

From inside the flap: 
Listen, my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere...
So begins one of the most stirring poems in American literature, brought vividly to life in this breathtaking new edition by a master of picture book illustration.
Ted Rand's moonlit vision captures the swift, rhythmic gait of Longfellow's words and the drama of Revere's brave ride as he gallops from town to farm, sounding the call to rise and arm against the British. The story unfolds in memorable pictorial images: Revere's anxious wait on shore, the two lights in the belfry of the Old North Church, Concord Bridge in the early morning hours. The mixture of history, art, and poetry results in a book as gorgeous to behold as its message is inspiring to all who love freedom.

My review:

Just about everyone's studied Longfellow's poem Paul Revere's Ride in school--it was required memorization for me. Rand's illustrations help flesh out Longfellow's words, and make this an entertaining book for kids. A very patriotic poem, despite being written almost a century after the Revolutionary War, Longfellow's poem describes Revere's ride, invoking emotions in a way that prose cannot. Ted Rand's illustrations help to summon the feel of the night, the secrecy, worry, and bravery of that ride.

Poetry and rhyming is a common writing style for read-a-loud books, Dr. Suess rhymes and so does the very popular Pete the Cat. Kids like rhymes, and Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride is classic American literature. It never hurts to start kids early with the classics. Even though it is an older book, I still advocate for it's inclusion in the collection. We have several different versions of this in easy non-fiction, but this version is my favorite, due to Ted Rand's excellent illustrations.

Read-a-likes: These read-a-likes will appeal to children who have a love of history. These would also be good read-a-loud books for History units in early education. 

The Revolutionary field trip : poems of Colonial America / Katz, Susan.

Nineteen poems reveal life in colonial America as seen through the eyes of a teacher and her class when they go on field trips to historic sites from the Revolutionary War era. (Amazon).

Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak / Kay Winters

Follow an errand boy through colonial Boston as he spreads word of rebellion. It's December 16, 1773, and Boston is about to explode! King George has decided to tax the colonists’ tea. The Patriots have had enough. Ethan, the printer’s errand boy, is running through town to deliver a message about an important meeting. As he stops along his route at the bakery, the schoolhouse, the tavern, and more readers learn about the occupations of colonial workers and their differing opinions about living under Britain’s rule. This fascinating book is like a field trip to a living history village. (Amazon).