From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4 The front room/back room qualities of colonial life and slavery are well captured in both the story and the photographs, taken in Williamsburg, Virginia. From early morning until late in the evening Rippon, a young black slave, toils at the Wetherburn Tavern. His father is a field hand, his mother a house slave for Mr. Moody, who once also owned Rippon. Mixed in with his daily duties are some worries that Rippon has for his friend Aberdeen, who angrily rejects his slave existence. While the story is artificial, it will serve a two-fold purpose in libraries: as a recreation of the story of house slavery in an active colonial capital and as a tour guide for all of the children who will vacation in the recreated capital. Ancona's color photos, while staged, are large and clear, and reveal a wealth of information. Therese Bigelow, Hampton Public Library, Va.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Students will find the book an enjoyable supplement to classroom units on slavery or life in the colonial capital." Booklist, ALA
