Underground

"* A stellar introduction to the Underground Railroad . . . Though subdued in palette until the eruption of color as the figures reach the threshold of freedom, the author's collaged nocturnal paintings shimmer with an arresting luminescence." --School Library Journal, starred review

"* Powerfully expressive imagery will sweep young viewers into this suspenseful journey along the Underground Railroad. . . . Lengthier accounts of travel on the Underground Railroad abound, but few if any portray the experience with such compelling immediacy." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"* With haunting pictures and a few simple sentences, Evans introduces beginning readers to a crucial piece of American history. . . . Telling the story without overwhelming readers is a delicate task, but Evans walks the line perfectly." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"* The mixed-media illustrations are the main focus here, and they're luminous and haunting. The tension between dark and light visually pulses through the spreads: the whites of the escaping family's eyes gleam in cut-paper collage, the slender crescent of a moon shines overhead, and the amber glow from a window or a searcher's torch stands out with startling distinction in scenes otherwise constituted almost entirely from shadowy blues and blacks." --BCCB, starred review

"The minimal text drums like a heartbeat. From terror to triumph, a perfect evocation for very young readers of what it means to escape from bondage." --The Washington Post

"The achievement of Underground is to summon up for young readers the spirit and emotions--desperation, fear and, ultimately, celebration--of the Underground Railroad. . . . This is more a poetic invocation of slavery and freedom than a real history. Young readers will need further explanation; older readers will want it. But the triumphant smile of a father, holding a newborn aloft in the boldly yellow sunshine, requires no explaining at all." --The New York Times Book Review

"Shane W. Evans has created a book in which the emotional experience of the journey north is dominant." --Orlando Sentinel

"As the runaways move North, the sky lightens, culminating in a brilliant yellow on the book's last spread. This stunning simplicity respects the young audience and makes us want to join in with the book's closing words." --BookPage

"Evans' dark, angular pencil sketches, overlaid by shades of deep blue and green, are highly effective--and as the slaves reach safety, vibrant yellows and oranges shout the glory of freedom." --Chicago Sun-Times