School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Lynch brings to vivid life the well-known story of the Pilgrims through the adventures and voice of John Howland. As a young man, Howland came across the Atlantic on the Mayflower as an indentured servant of John Carver, who would later become the first governor of the new colony. The book is told from Howland's first-person perspective, with plenty of dialogue. Some of Howland's story is familiar: the journey of the Mayflower, the trials of the new colony, the first encounters with the Wampanoag, Squanto's assistance, and the eventual peace that culminated in a Thanksgiving feast. Yet Lynch includes other information, such as the Speedwell, a ship from Holland that was intended to travel alongside the Mayflower; details of the life of indentured servants; the politics of the creation of the Mayflower Compact; the harrowing death rate of the new colony; and Howland's trajectory to personal commitment to the colony and to God. Coupled with richly detailed and often dramatic watercolor and gouache illustrations, Lynch's fast-paced text brings a new excitement to the Thanksgiving story. VERDICT An excellent choice for teachers seeking a new approach to the history of the Pilgrims.-Mariah Manley, Salt Lake City Public Library © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In his authorial debut, Lynch (Mysterious Traveler) presents an intimate account of the Mayflower crossing and the Pilgrims' first year in America. His imagined first-person narration by real-life indentured servant John Howland employs a zoom-lens focus in its description of pivotal episodes in the harrowing journey. One of these is Howland's fall overboard: "Down and down I went into the darkness under the icy waves. It was quiet down there, no raging wind or rain like up above." An eerie underwater blue-green spread shows Howland grasping for a submerged rope, the water's surface and ship's keel looming above. Lynch's meticulous watercolor and gouache illustrations imbue the pages with cinematic energy. The opening birds-eye view of bustling 1620s London allows careful readers to spot a tiny Howland running through muddy streets on a clandestine errand; a later spread shows the Native Americans' vantage from shadowy woods as they secretly watch the newly arrived Pilgrims. Short chapters with straightforward titles chronologically segment a familiar story that has been personalized through stunning artwork and insightful storytelling. Ages 7-10. Agent: Clare Conville, Conville & Walsh Literary Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
