Customer Reviews

Three Young Pilgrims

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Cheryl Harness has produced the most unusual gem of the Mayflower story that I have yet run across. The story, by adult standards is choppy in its progression, but is quite charming in its childlike perspective of the harshness that the pilgrims must have faced both on the Mayflower and in the founding of Plymouth including the time of the Thanksgiving feast. The story is sandwiched between pages that give interesting details of the ship, the voyage, and the people and events of the time that would be certain to satisfy the curious reader or listener. The artwork was beautifully illustrated in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil and has been wonderfully reproduced in colored ink. This is both a wonderful holiday and historical book that should please all ages.

Crazy James

This is a wonderful and informative book for children and adults that tells the story of the Allerton family as they travel to America. Readers will enjoy both the illustrations -- detailed cut-aways of the ships they sailed in -- and the text which does not mince words about the difficulties of the journey. For anyone who has relatives on the Mayflower, this is a lovely story of how our ancestors first came to this country. It reminds us of how brave they were.

I discovered Three Young Pilgrims by accident and had to have it. Beautifully told believable story that brings history alive for all ages and illustrations are detailed and excellent. I recommend it for ages 7 to 107!

Every family with young children ought to have a copy of Cheryl Harness' Three Young Pilgrims.

The first thing you'll probably notice when you open up this book is the detailed illustrations. For example, the first two page spread looks like an old world map, complete with the human-like faces of the four winds, mermaids, sea monsters - and, naturally, the Mayflower moving toward the New World. On another page, there's a cross cut of the Mayflower, showing all the rooms below deck and how people moved about in them. And throughout, Harness does a superb job of relating details about Pilgrim and Indian life through complex illustrations your kids will study over and over again.

The text is strong, too. It tells the novelized story of three real-life Pilgrim children: Mary, Remember, and Bartholomew Allerton. We see them on the Mayflower and witness the general excitement when the sailors call "Land ho!" We learn about the special agreement the Pilgrims wrote out (the Mayflower Compact, although the book does not tell us this is the document's name):

"They were there to build a colony 'for the glory of God' and in 'honor of our King and country.' Together they would be a 'civil body politic' making and obeyind laws for the common good."

We learn the Pilgrims lived aboard the Mayflower while they built their homes, and that many on board the ship were ill and died - including Mrs. Allerton and her new baby. In the spring, when they finally move into their new homes, Mary witnesses her first Indian: a man named Samoset, who speaks broken English. He soon brings his friend Squanto, who speaks perfect English and helps the Pilgrims plant New World crops.

That summer, the harvest is bountiful and in the fall the Pilgrims decide to have a celebration to give thanks to God. "We will invite our Indian brothers to feast with us and offer prayers of thanksgiving to the Maker for a bountiful harvest," says governor William Bradford. During one evening of the celebration, while sitting around a large fire, Bartholomew asks, "Papa, are you happy we came to America?" After a moment, Mr. Allerton answers, "Your mother and I wanted to bring up our children where no king could tell us how to live and pray....We didn't know it would be so hard, but yes, I am happy." And although the children miss their mother, they acknowledge they will be fine, too.

The last few pages of the book help kids put this story into context. There's an illustration of the entire Plymouth village, a timeline of events surrounding the New World, a list of interesting things going on in the world at the same time the Pilgrims moved to North America, a two page spread about the "Saints" (Puritans), with a complete illustrated list of each one, an explanation of who the "Strangers" were, with a complete illustrated list of each one that crossed on the Mayflower, and an illustrated guide to notable Indians who worked with the Pilgrims.

What I Like: When my 5 year old opened this book, she gasped and was instantly drawn into the images (done in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil). She's spent hours studying the pictures and asking me about the details in them. This book is just loaded with historical information! I also think it's the most thorough, interesting, and detailed book about Pilgrims for this age group.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Kristina Seleshanko

Christian Children's Book Review

This is not a book that recounts the lives of the Pilgrims as a whole. Instead, it is a storybook that details the life from the perspective of a Pilgrim family, the Allertons. The author has packed this book with historical and geographical tidbits, richly detailed illustrations, and of course a beautiful story that is weaved in between!

Great book about the Pilgrims with lots of historical detail about the different families. Cut-away of the Mayflower with labels and drawings of each of the passengers with their names, makes the story come to life.

Although I am an Allerton descendent, I would enjoy this story anyway. Told through the eyes of the Allerton children, the author paints an accurate picture, from what we know today. The illustrations were terrific. She put in so many little info tidbits that I so enjoyed. Great book!!