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Besides World War II, ancient Rome and Greece, and Great Britain, my favorite time and place in history is the American Revolution. One of the most thrilling parts of that time is the beginning in Boston – the Boston Massacre, Samuel and John Adams, the Boston Tea Party, Lexington, Concord – and the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Autobiographical accounts from someone close to the action of that time are fascinating to read. Mr. Revere and I, by Robert Lawson, is just such an account of someone very close to Paul Revere, who can tell us about his life in general and the dramatic story of that famous ride. In fact, the narrator of the book, which is told in first person, is someone who was intimately connected to Paul Revere. By now you are wondering who it could be. Was it Mrs. Revere? Was it his eldest child? Was it a close friend? To all these questions, the answer is no. The narrator of Mr. Revere and I was his horse, Scheherazade! Scheherazade spent many hours in very close physical proximity to Paul Revere, so is highly qualified to tell his story.
Scheherazade tells the reader about his origins as a British war horse, sold by his master to cover gambling debts, his humiliation as a cart horse, and finally being acquired to serve Paul Revere as a fast messenger horse. Paul Revere at first is not a very good rider but who better than a horse to teach his master proper riding skills? As the dramatic events unfold in April, 1775, Scheherazade gradually changes from a British loyalist to a fire-breathing American rebel. Robert Lawson’s writing, along with his marvelous illustrations, make for a very funny book, highly recommended for middle school or upper elementary school readers. It also makes a very good family read-aloud book because of the humorous, clear writing.
Robert Lawson (1892-1957) was born and raised around New York City and served in World War I. He and his wife lived most of their life in Westport, Connecticut. He is the only person who has won both the Caldecott Medal (for illustration) and the Newbery Award (for writing). He is probably most famous for Rabbit Hill and The Tough Winter and Ben and Me (see all my reviews), which he both wrote and illustrated. Lawson also illustrated a lovely abridged version of The Pilgrim’s Progress. Among the select few author/illustrators that I know of in children’s literature, he is one of the best.