An Apple for Harriet Tubman

Narrated by author Glennette Tilley Turner, this iconographic-animated adaptation of the titular 2006 picture book—illustrated by Susan Keeter—presents a target-audience-sensitive overview of the life and times of iconic abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Most of us are familiar with Tubman's (a.k.a. “Moses”) work on the Underground Railroad guiding hundreds of slaves to Northern freedom, but few are likely to be aware of her affinity for apples. Based on recollections from one of Tubman's grandnieces, the story features an ugly incident from Tubman's youth as a seven-year-old slave working in an orchard, where she one day bit into a juicy apple, after which a boss's “whip tore through her clothing and into her flesh.” Viewers will also follow Tubman through her adolescent years, marriage, and risky first trip North (ending up in Philadelphia), as well as her numerous returns to conduct her still-enslaved family and others to safety. The profile concludes with the observation that Tubman planted rows of apple trees after buying her own house in New York. DVD extras include “Author's Note” segments featuring archival photos of Tubman, information on her work as a Union army nurse, and a recommended book list, as well as a “Sharing My Story” audio conversation with Turner. Highly recommended. Aud: E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)