Customer Reviews

Paul Revere's Ride

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4 star:		(2)
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Just a point of correction on the review given by Seidur above--the Ted Rand illustrated edition not only contains the complete Longfellow poem, it is also correctly titled (contrary to two erroneous criticism made by Seidur). It is, I think, the best edition of this wonderful poem.

"One if by land, two if by sea/ And I on the opposite shore will be" -- The stirring ballad of Paul Revere's ride lives in the lands of folklore and poetry simultaneously thanks to the craft of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. (Longfellow's distinctive poetic style earned him a lampoon on "Bullwinkle's Corner", an honor he shared with Wordsworth and R. L. Stevenson, among others.) What sets this edition apart is illustrator Ted Rand's vivid rendition of the poem: large, dramatic pictures alive with a sense of danger and blue with frosty darkness. As a reader of stories to preschool groups, I would not ordinarily seek out Longfellow to present to three-year-olds, but Rand's big, bold pictures capture their attention and suck them in to the drama of an exciting (though historically less than accurate) piece of Americana. As a read-aloud for first through third grades, this book is a good opener for _George the Drummer Boy_ and _Sam the Minuteman_, both by Nathaniel Benchley, and _Six Silver Spoons_ by Janette Sebring Lowrey.

For the last two days I have read Paul Revere's Ride by Longfellow to my 4 and 7 year old. We have learned the history, vocabulary words, the different methods the artist used to illustrate the poem, and many other interesting facts. They are begging for more! What are great book! Longfellow makes history come to life. You can just feel the night air in Revere's face as he so courageously warns the people.

It had good information for my report in the back of the book. It had true history of the ride. I liked the illustrations. My moms friend did the design layout.

On April 18, 1775, a silversmith named Paul Revere and two other men rode from Boston to Lexington to warn American patriots that the British troops had arrived. This helped prepare the American soldiers for the battles of Lexington and Concord, the first in the American Revolution. About 95 years later, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poetic tribute to Revere's actions. He exercised some poetic license with historical details, so it should not be considered a historical document but rather a piece of great American literature.

The courageous patriotism exemplified by Revere makes him an admirable hero, especially for young boys. Ted Rand's illustrated version of Longfellow's work visually represents the suspense and danger of the night, allowing young readers to experience the story before they have fully grown into the poem. The dramatic scenes work well with the rhythmic action of the poem, and while turning the pages one can almost hear the horse's hooves pounding the road as Revere rides on and on.

The book contains a brief historical afterword which helps contextualize Revere's ride in the events of the Revolution, and inquisitive readers can also explore the online Paul Revere Heritage Project or the website of the Paul Revere House.

This is the full text of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride. Most of us are familiar with the beginning lines:

"Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,..."

and this book is a wonderful introduction to the full poem for the next generation. There are vibrant illustrations which are not only attractive but really draw you into the mood of the story. The beginning and end of the book have a map charting out his ride, so that you can follow along visually. Finally, at the end, there is background information about the events that prompted this ride and the end result of it.

I read this book with my 7 yo and 5 yo. First, I gave a very brief 15-second background explanation, and it helped that they had a very basic knowledge of the Revolutionary War and are used to me reading to them more advanced books. Then I read the poem, with them looking at the pictures, only rarely stopping to explain a particular word, and then went through the explanation at the end. They enjoyed it, and were drawn into the poem. Even though the words are complex, if read well, and with the accompaniment of the pictures and basic background understanding, it can be engaging to the younger set. I expect they will get more from it as they get older, and I plan to be reading this book with my children at least once a year as part of our homeschooling. Definitely would recommend this book for the elementary-aged set, and I will probably give it as a gift to my nieces and nephews in the future.

The text is the classic Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, and the paintings give it new life for the visually-oriented kids of today. This book will help them visualize what the poem is talking about, which becomes more important as time passes and kids are less accustomed to reading the words of older poems. If you want kids to really appreciate this famous poem, this book should help them connect with it.

A great introduction to Longfellow and the roots of this great Country. The artwork is beautiful. A good book for young children learning to read.