Henry's Freedom Box

Telling the incredible true story of a “man who mailed himself to freedom,” the iconographic-animated Henry's Freedom Box is based on the 2007 Caldecott Honor picture book written by Ellen Levine and beautifully illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Born into slavery, young Henry Brown watched birds flying overhead and dreamed of freedom. Working under miserable conditions at a Richmond, VA tobacco factory, Henry eventually married a slave woman named Nancy and began to raise a family…until one fateful day, when Henry learned that his wife and children were being sold on the auction block. Unable to rescue his loved ones, Henry hatched an escape plan with an Underground Railroad sympathizer: nailed into a wooden crate, Henry was mailed to Philadelphia, a harrowing 27-hour journey (including riding on a steamboat) that ended successfully on March 30, 1849. Narrated by Jerry Dixon, with a nice soundtrack by David Mansfield that incorporates snippets from spirituals, Henry's Freedom Box is a tale that inspires while never sugarcoating the sad and tragic realities of slave life. Featuring a read-along option, DVD extras include an interview with Levine. Recommended. Aud: E, P. (R. Pitman)