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There are many men who are included in any roster of the Founding Fathers of our country. Two who would make such a list, based on their many contributions to the success of the Revolution against the British, were Paul Revere in Boston and Partrick Henry in Virginia. Every child should learn their thrilling stories. Jean Fritz has made many important parts of their history accessible to elementary school children through her two books, And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? and Where was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?
The book about Paul Revere is written in a lively style, tracing Revere’s career from boyhood through old age. There is a tremendous lot of information in this book, which will be effortlessly absorbed by the child reader because how well it is written and the whimsical illustrations by Margot Tomes. One additional historical note that might be of interest, which is not in this book: Paul Revere’s father was also named Paul Revere, and was sent as a boy from France in the early 1700s to escape religious persecution because he was a Huguenot. “Paul Revere” was the Anglicization of his original French name: Apollos Rivoire!
Patrick Henry is a dynamic figure in American history, with an incredible skill as a public speaker. Many phrases he used in speaking have come down to us as famous quotes. He was born on May 29, 1736, hence the title of the book. Fritz gives us a very clear, engaging picture of the life of Patrick Henry and what he did for America. A child reading this book will learn more about the life of Patrick Henry than I did in 12 years of public education. I really wish I had been able to read this book when I was a kid!
Jean Fritz (1915 to 2017) was born in China. Her parents were American Presbyterian missionaries. When she was 12 years old, the family returned to American. She graduated from Wheaton College, an Evangelical school, in 1937. She married in 1941 and she and her husband Michael had two children. She wrote extensively on American history for children as well as some fiction. The illustrator of both books in this review was Margot Tomes (1917 to 1991) who is mainly known today for her illustrations of children’s books, including several by Jean Fritz. Tomes was a cousin of William Pene du Bois (see my reviews of his books).