Reviews: (by author)

Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Let It Begin Here! Lexington & Concord First Battles of the American Revolution. Illus. Larry Day. New York: Walker & Co., 2005. ISBN 0-8027-8945-5

Dennis Fradin's historical picture book makes two days, April 18 and April 19, 1775, come alive with a "You-Are-There" narrative. The story's pace is brisk in describing what happened at the beginning of the Revolutionary War in Massachusetts. To add energy to the account, Fradin uses two effective devices: he includes the date and the specific time of each incident, and he writes the story using active present tense verbs. The narrative is not prettified or glorified, but realistic. At the story's end, Frankin reveals "What Happened to the People" involved in those two important days of American history. He provides informative end papers: at the beginning, a map showing the British military lines from Concord, to Lexington, and to Boston, and, at the end, one showing the thirteen colonies at the end of the war. Fradin lists a "Who's Who" on the American and British sides and explains, in a concise two paragraphs, what led to the first battles. Moreover, he includes his bibliographic sources and a list of other children's books on this subject. Larry Day creates vibrant pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations. Many pictures sweep across two pages of dramatic scenes of the battle. He depicts soldiers and famous men, like Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, showing their great strength and determination. With its fine presentation of pivotal moments in our history, this would be effective in grades 2 through 5.

Toni Rowden, January 2006

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