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February 02, 2007
The Ubiquitous Ride of Paul Revere
[Editor's Note: This is my latest column over at the MCLS Web Site.]
There comes a time in many an illustrator’s life when he says to himself, “I love Boston.” Then, while looking for a tax-deductible excuse to spend extensive amounts of time there sightseeing and shopping and occasionally looking into rare historical documents, he hits upon the obvious answer: illustrate "Paul Revere’s Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This is the only explanation I can come up with for how many picture book adaptations exist of this poem.
"Paul Revere’s Ride" is a challenging picture book choice for any number of reasons. First off, it’s loooooonnnnnng, and the language is a barrier to today’s ears – even for many adults. When Longfellow wrote, “Listen, my children, and you shall hear/Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,” I suspect he wasn’t thinking of five year olds. Second or third graders might tolerate listening to this poem if they like the adult reading it enough; fourth or fifth graders might understand some of it. Sadly, it’s the kind of poem that could completely turn kids off poetry if it’s forced on them too young.
The oldest picture book example I find is from 1963, illustrated by our old standby, Paul Galdone. I’m a Galdone fan, but, seriously, what didn’t that man illustrate? This isn’t my favorite of his works by a long shot, but I’m in love with the cover, primarily because it’s so creepy. Revere has black holes where his eyes should be, and he’s depicted getting ready to jump on his horse and, from the sneaky look on his face, make a quick getaway. Inside, it’s the Galdone we’re all used to, although the illustration of Revere’s friend climbing the ladder of the North Church to set the signal is striking. It’s a moment that helps the reader remember exactly how serious life is when you’re committing treason against the British Empire.
Jump ahead ten years to 1973, and we find an effort from illustrator Joseph Low, strangely Galdonesque in its inky lines and muted palette. It includes a map and brief forward, which are nice touches, but, overall, I find nothing remarkable.
The next decade gives us a take by Nancy Winslow Parker in 1985. Like so much of what came out of the 80’s, this version is inexplicably odd. There’s a glossary, which is good for young ones wondering what the heck Longfellow’s going on about, and the map is much better than Low’s – but Parker’s illustrations are too cartoony, perhaps not the most effective choice for a pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War.
Ted Rand got appropriately serious in 1990 with the first truly realistic depiction of events. Of all the books I’ve seen, Rand gets the conversation between Revere and his friend right: those men look like they’re plotting. Rand uses dark colors and serious faces throughout, making the whole atmospheric and interesting. And I really, really like the endpaper maps. In 1999, National Geographic put out a version illustrated by Jeffrey Thompson. As once might expect, the historical note here is particularly interesting and informative, but I’m going to go on record as not loving Thompson’s illustrations. They’re angular and dark, which is sort of appropriate, but then he ruins it by repeatedly using a rich purple and a color that can only be described as turquoise. Much as I love purple and, to a lesser extent, turquoise, they don’t exactly scream “war.” I’ll concede that this might just be a matter of taste on my part.
In 2001, we come to the definitive version of "Paul Revere’s Ride." Christopher Bing did it right in a big way. His darkly detailed and imaginative illustrations are perfect, and they’re only the start of the fun. He also includes maps, reproductions of historical documents, extensive historical information, notes on how he created the illustrations, and suggestions for further reading. The design is noteworthy, too – so inviting. As a package, it makes the poem more accessible by giving readers background and context, lots of different ways to understand and visualize what’s going on. It’s the kind of book that might actually inspire someone to learn more about Revere and the time period, which, I think, would please Mr. Longfellow to no end.
Just when I thought no one else needed to bother illustrating any other versions of this poem, along came Monica Vachula proving me wrong in 2003. Instead of focusing on the history, Vachula’s supporting matter talks about Longfellow and why he wrote this poem. That’s different. I like it. More than any other illustrator, I think Vachula got Boston right: the narrow streets, the bricks, the details in the buildings. It’s definitely the Boston I know and love. 2003 also saw the publication of Charles Santore’s take on the poem. It’s nice enough with its realistic depiction of events, but we’ve already seen realistic interpretations. By itself, it’s fine, but I don’t think it stands up to the combined forces of Bing and Vachula.
Since I think we have "Paul Revere’s Ride" thoroughly covered, perhaps I could humbly suggest that today’s illustrators consider turning their eye to some new material. It may not get you to Boston, but why not try something by Dickinson or Poe? Those are the poets I loved when I was a kid….
[Big A little a has this week's roundup, and be sure to check the comments there for more links/discussion on copyright issues. I love the way topics pop up all over the blogosphere.]
Posted by adrienne at February 2, 2007 10:05 AM
Comments
Fascinating post, Adrienne!
Posted by: Kelly at February 2, 2007 03:32 PM
Thanks! It is a bit long, but I'm really into this idea of looking at how different illustrators approach the same material lately. I feel like I might be learning something.
Posted by: adrienne at February 2, 2007 03:42 PM
This is great!
How about the eternally readable Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Frost? My kids adore Susan Jeffers illustrated version.
Posted by: Liz Garton Scanlon at February 2, 2007 09:06 PM
Yes, that is a lovely book, and I love Frost's work. Even when kids might not understand what Frost is getting at, his imagery is focused on nature and farm life -- things kids are interested in and can easily make into mental pictures. It's also the kind of stuff that would seem very tempting for an illustrator to work with. I know she isn't doing much work anymore, but I would love to see Tasha Tudor do a series of Frost poems as picture books....
Posted by: adrienne at February 3, 2007 11:50 AM