Set in the late 1800s, when the Mississippi River was our country's grand highway, and the kind of the road was the steamboat, this fascinating picture-book biography tells the true story of Blanche Leathers, the first woman steamboat captain. Even as a young girl Blanche knew that navigating the mighty Mississippi required a special kind of river sense. But that didn't deter her. Blanche loved the Mississippi and held on to her dream. Years later this determined young woman took her pilot's exam, becoming the first woman to captain a steamboat. Judith Heide Gilliland's lyrical text and Holly Meade's distinctive art capture life on the Mississippi and the glory of the steamboat as they tell the story of a young girl who became a legend on the river when piloting one of these grand boats was the dream of boys everywhere.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Gilliland's (The House of Wisdom) story flows as swiftly and assuredly as the Mississippi River on which it is set, recounting Blanche Douglas's childhood dream--and its realization--to be the first woman steamboat captain. The author introduces Blanche as an eight-year-old in 1868 as she watches the approaching vessel from the riverbank and captures the girl's infatuation: "STEAMBOAT! Big and tall, a floating birthday cake. It looks like a celebration." Meade (Hush!) similarly creates the backdrop for Blanche's lifelong love affair with the coveted boat in a collage spread of the girl high in a treetop with the best vantage point for spotting the steamer. The cutouts of leaves and birds inventively conjure the illusion of distance and a heightened sense of drama--as if Blanche is a player on a stage set. Though Captain Blackstone, who pilots that first steamboat, scoffs at Blanche's announcement that she wants to be a captain like him someday ("Girls don't grow up to be steamboatmen"), 26 years later, he would be among the examiners to test Blanche and pronounce her a fully fledged "steamboatman." Together, Gilliland and Meade convincingly expose the mysteries of the Mississippi (as an underwater graveyard of sunken boats, in its invisibility during fog and storms, etc.), and two climactic collages in midnight blue and black tones detail Blanche's triumphant test run on a moonless night. A suspenseful and inspirational historical portrait. Ages 6-9. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-This uneven picture-book biography of the first female American steamboat captain traces her childhood fascination with the Mississippi River to her passing her captain's exam. Gilliland uses a disconcerting present tense to tell the story. A single spread goes from 1872 when her subject is 12 to 1881 when she meets and marries Captain Leathers and learns to pilot. There is enough information to give readers a feel for how riverboat pilots "read" a river and of Leathers's accomplishments at a time when women did not captain anything. Unfortunately, Meade's collage-and-paint illustrations often do not suit the text. The captain may "stand tall" in the pilot house but even if readers know where to look, they'll see a man seeming to shake his fist at what he sees below, not standing tall. The unconvincing rendition of water, especially in the opening sequences, makes land seem to float above clouds while in other pictures water resembles caramel swirls. In interior scenes, however, the characters are personable and readers' eyes are drawn to details of riverboat life and period clothing. The author's endnote provides some historical background about steamboats and about Leathers, though readers might want to know if the business card depicted on the final page is authentic. It reads "Yes, I am a steamboatman"-a pretty saucy retort for 1894, but, if true, one more indicator that Leathers deserves a place in the early chronicles of women's rights.
Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Perfect Picture Book Biography Read Aloud!,
This review is from: Steamboat! The Story of Captain Blanche Leathers (Hardcover)
Outstanding story! The writer brings the Mississippi River alive with passages that show children how to use personification. The illustrator helps to bring the past alive too, with unique illustrations. Gripping tale that young and old readers/listeners will sit for and enjoy! Highly recommended for grades 1-5.Wow! Wow!
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