Rescuing the Declaration of Independence: How We Almost Lost the Words That Built America

by Anna Crowley Redding, Edwin Fotheringham (Illustrator)

Overview

He saved the words that built America! Emmy Award–winning journalist Anna Crowley Redding and Sibert Honor illustrator Edwin Fotheringham bring to life the riveting true story about the lowly clerk who saved the Declaration of Independence from being destroyed by the British army in the War of 1812. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

These are the words that helped found our nation. Today the Declaration of Independence is one of the United States’ most heavily guarded treasures, but during the War of 1812 it would have been destroyed if not for one man whose story has nearly been forgotten by time. Come along on this historic adventure and learn how one ordinary clerk did a truly extraordinary thing.

As a clerk for the State Department, Stephen Pleasonton spent his days quietly immersed in paperwork. He never expected to receive an urgent message telling him that the British army was on its way to the capital. And that the documents that Stephen was entrusted with—such as the original Declaration of Independence and the original Constitution—were all in danger!

It fell on Stephen to get our nation’s most cherished and priceless artifacts safely out of Washington!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062740328
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anna Crowley Redding loves nothing more than putting on a detective hat to discover a forgotten tale of history and heroism, which made Rescuing the Declaration of Independence such fun to write. Anna’s stealthy research skills come from an Emmy Award–winning career as an investigative reporter and a lifelong tendency to never mind her own business. Anna is also the author of Google It: A History of Google and Elon Musk: A Mission to Save the World. She lives with her family outside Portland, Maine. You can visit her at www.annacrowleyredding.com.

Edwin Fotheringham is the award-winning illustrator of numerous books for kids, including What to Do About Alice?, recipient of both a Sibert Honor and a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor; The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy); Those Rebels, John & Tom; and Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word. He lives with his family in Seattle, Washington. You can visit him at www.edfotheringham.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/02/2020

Fotheringham’s (Most Wanted) action-packed illustrations, hand-drawn and digitally rendered, bring to life a little-known piece of United States history. If not for Stephen Pleasonton, a clerk for then–Secretary of State James Monroe, the burning of the nascent nation’s capital by British troops during the War of 1812 would have meant the destruction of important records. “Stephen lived and breathed paper. His job was not a powerful post, but it came with a particularly spectacular perk”—caring for the nation’s important founding documents. Redding (Google It) imbues her often-alliterative narration with a sense of urgency, echoed in the artwork, as Pleasanton works to save original manuscripts such as the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Nearly every spread features exigent motion, whether a galloping horse or Pleasonton running. The clerk oversees the sewing of large sacks for the documents, flags down evacuating wagons on which to stow them, and then hides them in the Virginia countryside while Washington burns. Back matter provides interesting historical details about some of the manuscripts and their road to the National Archives. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

02/01/2020

Gr 1–5—Stephen Pleasonton, a relatively unknown hero of the War of 1812, saved the physical copies of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution from destruction when the British attacked Washington, DC, in 1814. When Secretary of State James Monroe spied the British making preparations to invade the Capitol, he sent a note to President James Madison, and Monroe's office clerk, Pleasonton. The clerk immediately sprang into action and gathered the fledgling country's most valuable documents. He recruited fellow Americans to aid in his mission, even as Secretary of War John Armstrong scoffed at the idea of the British invading Washington which, at the time, was a swamp. Pleasonton's bravery and persistence allowed many important national documents to survive. The narrative propels readers forward and is complimented by Fotheringham's playful, digitally rendered illustrations. An author's note, information about the rescued documents, a time line, and a bibliography are included. VERDICT Although the story would have benefited from additional background information about the War of 1812, this picture book is a unique tale of heroism by an ordinary and relatively unknown clerk. A welcome addition to history shelves.—Jennifer Knight, North Olympic Library System, Port Angeles, WA

School Library Journal

2019-12-18
The British are coming—again!

When lowly clerk Stephen Pleasonton receives a note from his boss, Secretary of State James Monroe, everything changes. It's 1812, and Washington, D.C., is at risk from the British—even though the U.S. military doesn't seem to think so—and Pleasonton has been instructed to "remove the records," meaning that he should save the original documents that helped the United States develop as a nation. Exaggerated but appealing illustrations show the sequence of events while descriptive, action-filled text narrates the tale. Fotheringham's drawings have the look of old-time editorial cartoons, and the text pops with strategically placed emphases. While the story itself may be a mere footnote to history, it inadvertently reveals how the world has changed (paper documents and records being much less the norm today) and seeks to convey the awe many feel in regard to primary sources and artifacts. A reminder of a more innocent age when patriotism was taken for granted, this rollicking tale gives a nice sense of the time period. It also emphasizes how the actions of a less-than-famous but determined individual can have great effect and demonstrates that each person's role in history—even one that focuses on packing up government files and papers—is important.

Budding historians as well as those unfamiliar with history will both enjoy this pleasant, fast-moving selection. (endnotes, timeline, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews

"Fotheringham’s (Most Wanted) action-packed illustrations, hand-drawn and digitally rendered, bring to life a little-known piece of United States history...Redding (Google It) imbues her often-alliterative narration with a sense of urgency, echoed in the artwork, as Pleasanton works to save original manuscripts such as the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Nearly every spread features exigent motion, whether a galloping horse or Pleasonton running."  — Publishers Weekly

“At its heart, Rescuing the Declaration of Independence is an action movie with a famous star (the documents). You can talk to your kids about whether or not a physical object like a Constitution needs to be preserved and visited or if its merits are found in different ways. And for folks that want to give their teaching of the War of 1812 a more interesting hook.” — School Library Journal

“The narrative propels readers forward and is complimented by Fotheringham’s playful, digitally rendered illustrations…this picture book is a unique tale of heroism by an ordinary and relatively unknown clerk. A welcome addition to history shelves.” — School Library Journal

"Budding historians as well as those unfamiliar with history will both enjoy this pleasant, fast-moving selection."  — Kirkus Reviews

“This rollicking tale gives a nice sense of the time period. It also emphasizes how the actions of a less-than-famous but determined individual can have great effect and demonstrates that each person's role in history—even one that focuses on packing up government files and papers—is important. Budding historians as well as those unfamiliar with history will both enjoy this pleasant, fast-moving selection.”

— Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher