Lantana (5+) 9781915244802 (Hardback)
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Life on the plantation is strict and harsh for Nemy. However, messages are woven into the braids of the characters whose strength and beauty are highlighted through radiant skin tones. There’s a strong sense of place throughout the book. Light and shadow is used to great effect and use of guttering provides a powerful separation between those who are enslaved upon the plantation and those who are enslavers. Subtle details throughout reward rereading.
Themes:
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Oboh Moses is a black digital illustrator who has been passionate about art since he was seven years old. In 2021, his work was selected for the American Illustration 40th Anniversary Annual. He lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria.
Elisha
Atlantic Awesome Readers
I like it because each braid style leads you to an adventure and a new home.
Chloe
Lionel Reading Champions
Gabby
Tore Shadows
The dark colours at the start really made me understand how Nemy was feeling, and at the end, the light colours showed how they escaped to freedom!!!
Ezra
Tore Shadows
It's a little sad but...I LOVE ALL THE HAIR STYLES. and the art is cool. But the fact that she did all of it is amazing.
Emma
Tore Shadows
I enjoyed reading Freedom Braids. The story is interesting and teaches readers about courage, freedom, and hope. I liked how the braids were used to help people escape slavery. The illustrations are beautiful and make the story easier to understand. The book also teaches an important part of history in a way that is easy for young readers to follow. I would recommend Freedom Braids because it is inspiring, educational, and enjoyable to read.
Arshdeep
Sale High Readers
Sadie
Lionel Reading Champions
We loved reading Freedom Braids and exploring the different braids on the endpapers to see if we could 'read' the messages in them. We really like the page where you can see Big Mother's braided map and the road they are following that is shown in her braids. Beautiful illustrations!
Sadie
Lionel Reading Champions
I think the concept of writing a picture book for kids about culture is amazing. I really love on the page that shows their journey - it is incredible seeing that the path is in the character's braids.
Yuval
Southbank Shadowers
comments made in the session important message- useful for understanding history i really liked it mixed emootions i was worried during the story then happy it was decent reminded me of the egyptians reminded me of the programme called "the big maze"
carol
Tales Tied with Ribbon Reading Group
What have braids got to do with tradition, should have been more depth, loved the illustration
Ezra
Belsize Stories
This is a nice story about a little girl who follows some people and they started to braid codes in there hair. They go on an adventure, but they find some men at a campfire and they sneak past and find there way home. 😁👌
Sophia
DA Gladiators
Sophia
DA Gladiators
This book is very unique as it starts with a map of braiding patterns to help slaves escape from plantations along the underground railroad. The illustrations are very intriguing as they are cold and sharp but by the end when they are free, the illustrations are warm and welcoming.
Ernie
Willow Book Whispers
I think that the book ‘Freedom Braids’ is a good book that explores key themes throughout the book. It links to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, where the author/illustrator have shown beautiful imagery and detail in their work. I felt understanding as I read this book and saw the journey they had to take to get to freedom. It is very intriguing that they made braids in their hair to plan out routes of escape. The illustrations were fantastic, showing key elements of preciseness, as well as incredible toning and lighting. They have created a beautiful, peaceful atmosphere through their work, while they are braiding. I think this book was targeted at 5–6-year-olds but has a clear message of meaning for all ages.
Anna
Willow Book Whispers
I really liked the book illustrations. When I read this I loved all of the pictures they helped me imagine how Nemy felt and I loved the book.
Isobel
Tore Shadows
this book reveals the secrets of how if you be you, you can do anything. this books illustrations are really clear and colourful and adds to the story's message.
Esme
Sale High Readers
We love the hairstyles and braids on the first page! Y1 think the illustrations of the girl are beautiful. Y2 said they liked the colourful backgrounds and textures that added depth to the pictures. Y3 weren't so keen- they thought the colours were quite dark and the illustrations were too realistic. Year 4 weren't sure about the colours either but they loved how realistic the illustrations were. They liked that the images went over two pages. Y5 thought the dark colours made the story quite sinister and Y6 loved the artwork- especially the fire and night time sky. They said it was simple but realistic. This is a very beautiful book!
Mia, Frankie and Alfie
Langtoft Reading Ambassadors
Moving representation of a culture that is so wildly different to my own
freya
Sale High Readers
We loved the bright illustrations at the beginning of the book and at the end and how this reflected the hope towards the end of the story. We liked the darkening pages when it talked about the sadness around slavery. The children loved discussing the different braids and how this was a 'map' for the women to escape. The children gave it a 9/10.
Katie
The St James Shadowers
I think that parts of the story were very clever and that the end pages were very useful as I could turn back to see what braids each of the characters had. I like how it took us from dark to light as the story happens, and I think this is very effective in telling the reader the emotion, mood, and tone of the situation. I think that there is good representation in the book and that some children might be happy to see someone who looks like them in a book. This is good for history as it tells us a story about slavery.
Bella
TGGS Carnegie Readers
This book talks about slaves from Africa, and how their braids and hairstyles helps them find a way to freedom, this helps them to find freedom and this book makes you think about the history of slavery.
Allegra
Orpington Library Chatterbooks Group
I think that this illustrated book shows the true path of some people in Africa who have been forced to move. It is truly inspiring.
Stevie
SDG Reads
The story takes place in America. It is about enslaved people. They were taken from Africa and sold to farmers to work for free. My favourite part was when they escaped using braids as a map. Most of the drawings were of people braiding each other’s hair or the different hairstyles and their meanings. I had no ideas braids had meanings. I liked the book because the pictures were so detailed. I would probably recommend it to anyone.
Neave
Sandroyd Bookivores
I loved how this book took us from a dark place with the colours to a more colourful life at the end when the women were free. I would rate this book 5/5
Mrs Harris
Pinewood
This amazing story follows a girl called Nemy who, guided by the elder 'Big Mother' learns to interpret these intricate hairstyles as paths to FREEDOM and SURVIVAL
Eyad
North Manchester Novel Navigators
This book is really enjoyable to read. I like how it is that they all live in peace, and connect with their hairstyles. It is really heart-warming.
Amelia
Weald of Kent Grammar (Sevenoaks)
I give this book an 7.8 Because it is based in Africa and its also about braids and freedom and showing the way to freedom. I recommend this to 5 and 7 year olds.
Nylah Rose
Hackney Primary Reading Champions
8/10 I liked the book freedom braids because the illustrations and that it would help them to escape from being slaves so there was maps in their hair. I would recommend it for kids that are 5 and older
Nayala
Hackney Primary Reading Champions
I like the illustration of the book because it makes me feel like to grow my hair and get braids
Edson
Hackney Primary Reading Champions
An amazing story of finding family and fighting against having been enslaved.
Joe
Rad readers
Leyre
DA Gladiators
Briella
Busy Bee Readers
So cool how people put maps in their hair and the past is really cruel. Characters are brave ,illustrations amazing and story fascinating.
Florrie
DA Gladiators
Pearl
Busy Bee Readers
Myla
Busy Bee Readers
Moyin
Busy Bee Readers
Florrie
DA Gladiators
I love this book because it is heartbraking💔.
Lyla
DA Gladiators
Tiwa
DA Gladiators
Lyla
DA Gladiators
The book is about slaves braiding each other’s hair. It is about Nemy and big mother and how they want freedom. The story takes place in America, where African people were taken to be slaves. The braids have meanings and help the slaves escape so they can be free. The story made us feel hopeful. The pictures gave an impression of secrets and a hard life before they escape, but when they arrive in the free village, everyone looks happy and it made us happy too.
Elianna and Anouk
Sandroyd Bookivores
Eva
Busy Bee Readers
Lyla
DA Gladiators
5 star book! I loved the idea of putting seeds in braids for saf-keeping!
Zene
Danum Doodlers Does Books
The book was mostly about Nemy and Big mother’s group escaping from their boss farm where they were slaves, with their signals which were secret braids. My favourite part of freedom braids was when Nemy and Big mother’s group were braiding their hair to make a meaning, because it made me feel how we could communicate in different ways even with braids! I thought the illustration was a very good because it showed real passion of the author’s artwork and it made the whole book like a real old film. The pictures also made me understand about their personality and setting.The first picture really took my attention because of the azure sky and all the detail in faces and grass. The illustrations and no complexity made it very enjoyable and I could read freedom braids 5 times without getting bored and I did! I definitely recommend reading freedom braids if you are young or if you are into art.
Tomonori
Sandroyd Bookivores
I really loved the illustrations in the book, Freedom Braids. The images were exactly what i imagined in the stories my family used to tell me when i was younger. As i read the part where they were braiding each others hair, i got this sense of nostalgia. It reminded me of when my mom would braid my hair and tell me stories at night. The moon would shine and me and my siblings would sit right next to my mom, on the outside of my house. The cold breeze, the birds chirping on the trees, and the moon shining bright while she explained what each hairstyle meant and how our ancestors fought for freedom, how we should be proud of ourselves. This book represented all theses feelings and did it wonderfully. I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family, especially those who might have had a similar background to mine.
Tehilah
Busy Bee Readers
The book was so informative. I loved the beautiful design of braids and enjoyed learning about the history of braids. The art was amazing and easily understood. This book was a wonderfully presented and I enjoyed reading it!
Salma
Bellerive Bookies and Cookies
Looooove this book. it has so much meaning but very little words. it doesnt say what it means but it means what is says- no words are needed. clearly uses words to bring the message without directly saying it.
Ariel
Belsize Stories
A book telling how braids were used to help slaves escape.But for younger kids.
netanel
Belsize Stories
It is an interesting book. I consider recommending it.
D
Ocklynge Readers
Shadow Group
Ocklynge Readers
LIBRARYGROUP
Ocklynge Readers
LIBRARYGROUP
Ocklynge Readers
LIBRARYGROUP
Ocklynge Readers
the story is about the african slave trade. the braids are a way out and i feel that the pictures captivate the story a lot better.
Rafi
Belsize Stories
It shows how people can come together and work as a team, to gain their freedom. How that being creative is a skill that can lead to survival, like the braiding that were secretly maps to their escape. It also shows that racism has no place in society and that we should rise against this in our own lives. I liked how there was a message of not giving up was throughout the book as well.
Tessa
Brockhill Book Club
I think that this book was quite good as it shows what happens in history very well. The braids shown their culture and how it helped them. I think this book would help many people understand the history of the Black community and what their braids mean to them. I learnt a lot from the book that I wouldn't study in my History lessons at school so that was incredibly interesting.
Jack
Brockhill Book Club
A book about a girl who basically finds freedom through braiding. They escape and go back to the village, but keep their spirits up by braiding each others hair. It is a lot about African enslavement and being taken away from their families. I think it also touches on the idea of culture and the traditions that have been passed down through generations. Overall, I think this book is very inspirational and quite exciting to read, I think that the pictures really bring the story to life. I like that there is a strong message of being together and overcoming adversity.
Eva
Brockhill Book Club
