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Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass
Some people had rights, while others had none.
Why shouldn't they have them, too?
Two friends, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, get together for tea and conversation. They recount their similar stories fighting to win rights for women and African Americans. The premise of this particular exchange between the two is based on a statue in their hometown of Rochester, New York, which shows the two friends having tea.
Why shouldn't they have them, too?
Two friends, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, get together for tea and conversation. They recount their similar stories fighting to win rights for women and African Americans. The premise of this particular exchange between the two is based on a statue in their hometown of Rochester, New York, which shows the two friends having tea.
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First published January 5, 2016
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About the author
Dean Robbins
15 books6 followersDean Robbins writes nonfiction children’s picture books about his heroes. His award-winning books have been featured on Public Radio International and praised in The New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and other publications, along with receiving starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. They’ve been chosen for best-of-the-year honors by the American Library Association, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, and Children’s Book Council, among others, and "Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass" was adapted as a short film by Weston Wood Studios. As a journalist, Robbins has served as the editor of Isthmus and contributed to USA Today, The New York Daily News, Space.com, Wisconsin Public Radio, and other media outlets. He draws on his journalism experience to interview the subjects of his children’s books, including Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean and NASA’s pioneering computer scientist Margaret Hamilton.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
June 22, 2016
I was horrified to discover how historically misleading the book is. The ending and the afterword suggest that these two major historical figures walked arm in arm into the sunset, working toward their joint goals for the rest of their lives. Nothing could be further from the truth!
It was unfortunate that the only fact-checking for the book came from someone at the Susan B. Anthony Museum, since it's in their interest to make her look good and to minimize the later conflict between these two figures.
In the REAL world, Susan B. Anthony's quest for women's rights took her to some very dark places, and she ended up allying herself with others who opposed voting rights for African Americans. Her own stated reasons made her seem almost petty and jealous, since women weren't getting rights at the same time. The fact was, though, that she actively campaigned against voting rights for African Americans.
I don't mind the simplistic happy ending portrayed in the book as much as I mind the afterword, which could have been used to explain the complexities of the real issues, and how sometimes friends can have differences of opinion. The story in a picture book isn't structured to permit detailed historical analysis, but if you're going to tell historical fiction, and then present a bibliography and notes, then please don't lie to the little kids! Simplify if you must, but don't lie!
Also, the tea party was portrayed in a way that almost seemed like a romantic Victorian get-together, rather than a meeting of equals and social activists. That seemed a little weird, especially since there's a famous statue of the same meeting, but without the candlelight and cheesecake.
I am disappointed in Orchard/Scholastic for publishing the book in this form. I can hardly wait for their future book on the lifelong friendship of Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, based on his long-ago support of Democrats...
It was unfortunate that the only fact-checking for the book came from someone at the Susan B. Anthony Museum, since it's in their interest to make her look good and to minimize the later conflict between these two figures.
In the REAL world, Susan B. Anthony's quest for women's rights took her to some very dark places, and she ended up allying herself with others who opposed voting rights for African Americans. Her own stated reasons made her seem almost petty and jealous, since women weren't getting rights at the same time. The fact was, though, that she actively campaigned against voting rights for African Americans.
I don't mind the simplistic happy ending portrayed in the book as much as I mind the afterword, which could have been used to explain the complexities of the real issues, and how sometimes friends can have differences of opinion. The story in a picture book isn't structured to permit detailed historical analysis, but if you're going to tell historical fiction, and then present a bibliography and notes, then please don't lie to the little kids! Simplify if you must, but don't lie!
Also, the tea party was portrayed in a way that almost seemed like a romantic Victorian get-together, rather than a meeting of equals and social activists. That seemed a little weird, especially since there's a famous statue of the same meeting, but without the candlelight and cheesecake.
I am disappointed in Orchard/Scholastic for publishing the book in this form. I can hardly wait for their future book on the lifelong friendship of Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, based on his long-ago support of Democrats...
May 22, 2018
This is a cute, very very simple biography of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. I really liked the mixed media collage illustrations, especially the scraps of paper covered in period handwriting. (Nerdy Archivist moment!) Susan's bloomers made up of one of those scraps is priceless! I also really liked the depictions of the people of color. The one thing that keeps me from giving this book a whole 5 stars is that it must cause the young reader to ask a LOT of questions. Who had rights? Why didn't some people have rights and other people did? What is a slave? Why didn't Frederick just quit? Why did he have to learn to read in secret? This story does not explain any of those things - just "Frederick was a slave. He had to do what the master said." I know from experience that 5 year olds don't understand slavery. It would have been simple for the illustrators to put one picture under the phrase "Some people had rights" (Picture of white men) and "Other people did not" (Picture of women and people of color). I'm not an artist or professional writer, just a reader, historian and aunt.
Otherwise I really enjoyed this charming little book. I know quite a lot individually about Frederick Douglass and a bit about Susan B. Anthony but nothing about their tea parties. I wish I could have been there to listen to a conversation between these brilliant activists.
Otherwise I really enjoyed this charming little book. I know quite a lot individually about Frederick Douglass and a bit about Susan B. Anthony but nothing about their tea parties. I wish I could have been there to listen to a conversation between these brilliant activists.
March 28, 2019
It's pretty superficial. They did meet, and they should have had plenty to talk about, but this paints a pretty picture of mutual support that implies more significance and ignores Anthony's rejection of equal rights for Black women lest it harm her cause.
I'm not saying that getting into all of that belongs in a children's book, but the broach the subject and not do it justice is not the answer.
I'm not saying that getting into all of that belongs in a children's book, but the broach the subject and not do it justice is not the answer.
February 20, 2017
A wonderful look at two powerful figures in the fights for equal rights accompanied by truly stellar artwork. I love everything about this! :)
January 3, 2016
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsnon...
A simple, visually engrossing introduction to the concept of equality.
Two champions of human rights meet for tea. The premise is interesting, as well as historically accurate. Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass did indeed become friends in the mid 1800’s, drawn together by the similarity of their causes. Equal right and freedom for all. And as the Author’s note at the very end reveals in more significant detail, both won their battles.
Word density and font choices vary widely from page to page, which promotes a full examination of the artwork and stands a greater chance of holding interest. While minimal, the two protagonist’s backstories are paralleled with a consistency that lends a pleasing balance. Between the word choices and sparing number of words per page, I suspect this book would better suit the younger side of the intended picturebook spectrum.
Personally, this reader was hoping for a little more thorough look at the inequality of the time period. When it’s mentioned that Fredrick Douglas grew up as a slave in the South, for instance, it feels as though the story would have been educationally enriched by a little more explanation of what being a slave entailed. (The book does say that slaves “had to do everything the master said,” and insinuates that Douglas had to learn to read and write in secret. But it felt like a missed opportunity to elaborate on the fact that they were considered property to be bought, sold, and worked against their will.) Page space is also spent setting the opening and closing scenes, when it seems more efficient to allow the vivid illustrations to handle that element of the storytelling.
"So many speeches to give.
"So many articles to write.
"So many minds to change."
On the whole, this beautiful 32 page work presents strong potential as social and historical tool for children ages 4-8.
A simple, visually engrossing introduction to the concept of equality.
Two champions of human rights meet for tea. The premise is interesting, as well as historically accurate. Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass did indeed become friends in the mid 1800’s, drawn together by the similarity of their causes. Equal right and freedom for all. And as the Author’s note at the very end reveals in more significant detail, both won their battles.
Word density and font choices vary widely from page to page, which promotes a full examination of the artwork and stands a greater chance of holding interest. While minimal, the two protagonist’s backstories are paralleled with a consistency that lends a pleasing balance. Between the word choices and sparing number of words per page, I suspect this book would better suit the younger side of the intended picturebook spectrum.
Personally, this reader was hoping for a little more thorough look at the inequality of the time period. When it’s mentioned that Fredrick Douglas grew up as a slave in the South, for instance, it feels as though the story would have been educationally enriched by a little more explanation of what being a slave entailed. (The book does say that slaves “had to do everything the master said,” and insinuates that Douglas had to learn to read and write in secret. But it felt like a missed opportunity to elaborate on the fact that they were considered property to be bought, sold, and worked against their will.) Page space is also spent setting the opening and closing scenes, when it seems more efficient to allow the vivid illustrations to handle that element of the storytelling.
"So many speeches to give.
"So many articles to write.
"So many minds to change."
On the whole, this beautiful 32 page work presents strong potential as social and historical tool for children ages 4-8.
February 4, 2016
Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass became friends in Rochester, New York where there is a statue showing them having tea together. The story imagines what it might have been like when they met, but it also shares a little of each of their childhoods. Susan loved to learn, but was denied that right because she was a woman. Frederick was born a slave, and escaped to the north, learning to read and then wonder why he couldn't do what others did.
As Anthony and Douglas grew to adulthood, both continued to question the denial of their rights, to vote, to do all the things that white men could. They never stopped fighting for those rights. The illustrations are realistic with bold color, with some background parts showing swirls of words surrounding these two famous people. There are parts of the Constitution, parts of the speeches and articles each wrote. There is an author's note and a bibliography at the back. The book can start many conversations about Anthony and Douglas, what they did, how they fought for the rights we all now have.
As Anthony and Douglas grew to adulthood, both continued to question the denial of their rights, to vote, to do all the things that white men could. They never stopped fighting for those rights. The illustrations are realistic with bold color, with some background parts showing swirls of words surrounding these two famous people. There are parts of the Constitution, parts of the speeches and articles each wrote. There is an author's note and a bibliography at the back. The book can start many conversations about Anthony and Douglas, what they did, how they fought for the rights we all now have.
February 3, 2016
A clever, spare narrative imagines a meeting of the suffragette and former slave and abolitionist, at her home in Rochester, New York. Superbly illustrated by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls. I wish the author had included suggestions for further reading.
December 31, 2016
Text: 4 stars
Illustrations: 4 stars
Historical fiction picture book. An imagined meeting of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and suffragette Susan B. Anthony who were contemporaries, colleagues, and friends in real life. Informative author's note in the back of the book puts the time period in further perspective. Bibliography included.
Illustrations: 4 stars
Historical fiction picture book. An imagined meeting of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and suffragette Susan B. Anthony who were contemporaries, colleagues, and friends in real life. Informative author's note in the back of the book puts the time period in further perspective. Bibliography included.
January 23, 2020
Very beautiful picture book imaging Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass meeting for tea at Anthony’s home on Madison Street in Rochester NY. They discuss topics of women’s and African American rights. Short and sweet with lovely illustrations.
November 12, 2020
The depiction of the two’s friendship is very minimal. Were they actually friends or just contemporaries? In many ways it feels like they just put two famous people , who were acquaintances, into the same book
January 13, 2023
Interestingly told. I learned some new things about the Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass relationship.
August 28, 2020
I can't give this book no stars, but it deserves it. Susan B. Anthony actively sold out the black community in order to get white women, and only white women, the right to vote. This book is a lazy example of "I can't be racist, I have a black friend." Instead of another tired Susan B. Anthony book can we please have some more children's books about black suffragist and abolitionist women like Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells?
March 18, 2018
This book introduces children to history throughout the whole book. It starts off with the friendship between Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, the 19th century civil rights heros. It teaches them about friendships and the causes they fought and spoke for. This book also shows how theres leaders in the world that people will remember for forever.
November 20, 2015
"So many speeches to give.
"So many articles to write.
"So many minds to change."
Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass are both vocal advocates for equal rights in their time. In Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass (2016) by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, Robbins imagines what it must have been like when Anthony and Douglass met at her home to discuss their ideas.
Although Two Friends is a fictionalized account, it is based on a very real friendship. Douglass and Anthony became friends in the mid-1800s in Rochester, New York. Throughout her life Anthony advocated for women's rights--including the right to vote. Douglass spent his life fighting for African American rights. The pair also supported each others' causes and often made appearances together.
Robbins uses the frame of one of Douglass and Anthony's visits to present a larger picture of their efforts to gain equal rights and fight for their respective causes in Two Friends. The story also highlights key points in both of their lives that led to their dedication to speak out for freedom and equality.
The text throughout Two Friends is presented in short sentences or very small paragraphs making this a great choice to read-aloud. The words are also spread out across the page so readers are never faced with daunting chunks of text. At the end of the book, Robbins talks slightly more in depth about Anthony and and Douglass in a page-long author's not. A bibliography is also included along with actual photographs of both Douglass and Anthony.
The illustrations by husband-and-wife team Qualls and Alko are gorgeous and add a nice dimension to the story with some additional text elements added into some of the collages. The artwork stays true to Anthony and Douglass' likenesses while also maintaining the style that Qualls and Alko developed in their first illustrative collaboration, The Case for Loving. Pops of bright color serve as a nice contrast against some of the darker winter backdrops in some of the spreads.
It is worth noting that some of the historical context for life as a woman and life a freed slave are simplified. For instance the text notes that Susan's mother can't go to college or own a house but it stops short of saying that women were considered property at this point in history. Two Friends also states that slaves had to do everything the master said but stops short of explaining that slaves were property and bought and sold by owners. Are either of these things something that should feature in a picture book? It's hard to say. But the absence--even in the author's note at the end of the book--seems glaring.
As with many picture books, Two Friends adopts a certain symmetry between Douglass and Anthony's lives. Because of their similar causes, these similarities make sense within the context of the narrative.
Two Friends is a solid picture book introduction to Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass as historical figures and can serve as an excellent entry point to non-fiction/biography titles on both. Stunning artwork makes Two Friends even better. A great addition to any collection.
"So many articles to write.
"So many minds to change."
Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass are both vocal advocates for equal rights in their time. In Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass (2016) by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, Robbins imagines what it must have been like when Anthony and Douglass met at her home to discuss their ideas.
Although Two Friends is a fictionalized account, it is based on a very real friendship. Douglass and Anthony became friends in the mid-1800s in Rochester, New York. Throughout her life Anthony advocated for women's rights--including the right to vote. Douglass spent his life fighting for African American rights. The pair also supported each others' causes and often made appearances together.
Robbins uses the frame of one of Douglass and Anthony's visits to present a larger picture of their efforts to gain equal rights and fight for their respective causes in Two Friends. The story also highlights key points in both of their lives that led to their dedication to speak out for freedom and equality.
The text throughout Two Friends is presented in short sentences or very small paragraphs making this a great choice to read-aloud. The words are also spread out across the page so readers are never faced with daunting chunks of text. At the end of the book, Robbins talks slightly more in depth about Anthony and and Douglass in a page-long author's not. A bibliography is also included along with actual photographs of both Douglass and Anthony.
The illustrations by husband-and-wife team Qualls and Alko are gorgeous and add a nice dimension to the story with some additional text elements added into some of the collages. The artwork stays true to Anthony and Douglass' likenesses while also maintaining the style that Qualls and Alko developed in their first illustrative collaboration, The Case for Loving. Pops of bright color serve as a nice contrast against some of the darker winter backdrops in some of the spreads.
It is worth noting that some of the historical context for life as a woman and life a freed slave are simplified. For instance the text notes that Susan's mother can't go to college or own a house but it stops short of saying that women were considered property at this point in history. Two Friends also states that slaves had to do everything the master said but stops short of explaining that slaves were property and bought and sold by owners. Are either of these things something that should feature in a picture book? It's hard to say. But the absence--even in the author's note at the end of the book--seems glaring.
As with many picture books, Two Friends adopts a certain symmetry between Douglass and Anthony's lives. Because of their similar causes, these similarities make sense within the context of the narrative.
Two Friends is a solid picture book introduction to Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass as historical figures and can serve as an excellent entry point to non-fiction/biography titles on both. Stunning artwork makes Two Friends even better. A great addition to any collection.
January 25, 2016
There was a time when all women and all African Americans had two things in common - neither group had rights and both groups had someone working hard to get them the rights they deserved according to the US Constitution.
In this meeting of suffragette Susan B. Anthony and former slave, abolitionist, and newspaper editor Frederick Douglass at her home in Rochester, NY, author Dean Robbins imagines what the two pioneers in the fight for equal rights might have talked about when they sat down for afternoon tea one cold snowy winter's day. The two were already friends with much in common - both defying society's expectations of them - she wears bloomers, he wears the clothes of a gentleman - and both just wanting the right to be free, and the right to vote. As Robbins points out, some people agreed with their ideas, but some people didn't.
As the afternoon wears on, the two friends talk and the reader begins to understand what the lives of women and African Americans was like in the 19th century, as well as how and why Anthony and Douglass were trying to change things. Both fighters had taught themselves how to give speeches, and throughout the book, there are steams of their own words from those speeches surrounding them.
At the end of the afternoon, the two friends promised to help each other "so one day all people could have rights."
Robbins' text is simply, but to the point. It shouldn't be forgotten that what went on that afternoon is imagined by him, but I am guessing it is pretty close to reality, given how passionate Anthony and Douglass were about their equal rights campaigns.
The emotional folk-art style illustrations are done with paint, colored pencils and collage in a palette of bright blues, reds and yellows.
Two Friends is a wonderful read aloud for young kids just beginning to learn American history. Be sure to read the Author's Note to learn more about these two fighters for equal rights, and the Bibliography for sources to learn more about these true American heroes.
Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass would pair nicely with Nikki Grimes's picture book Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, in which she imagines a meeting of these two women for afternoon tea and conversation about their lives. And yes, Frederick Douglass does come up in their talks.
This book is recommended for readers age 4+, but I think it is more appropriate for readers age 6+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Orchard Books, Scholastic
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
In this meeting of suffragette Susan B. Anthony and former slave, abolitionist, and newspaper editor Frederick Douglass at her home in Rochester, NY, author Dean Robbins imagines what the two pioneers in the fight for equal rights might have talked about when they sat down for afternoon tea one cold snowy winter's day. The two were already friends with much in common - both defying society's expectations of them - she wears bloomers, he wears the clothes of a gentleman - and both just wanting the right to be free, and the right to vote. As Robbins points out, some people agreed with their ideas, but some people didn't.
As the afternoon wears on, the two friends talk and the reader begins to understand what the lives of women and African Americans was like in the 19th century, as well as how and why Anthony and Douglass were trying to change things. Both fighters had taught themselves how to give speeches, and throughout the book, there are steams of their own words from those speeches surrounding them.
At the end of the afternoon, the two friends promised to help each other "so one day all people could have rights."
Robbins' text is simply, but to the point. It shouldn't be forgotten that what went on that afternoon is imagined by him, but I am guessing it is pretty close to reality, given how passionate Anthony and Douglass were about their equal rights campaigns.
The emotional folk-art style illustrations are done with paint, colored pencils and collage in a palette of bright blues, reds and yellows.
Two Friends is a wonderful read aloud for young kids just beginning to learn American history. Be sure to read the Author's Note to learn more about these two fighters for equal rights, and the Bibliography for sources to learn more about these true American heroes.
Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass would pair nicely with Nikki Grimes's picture book Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, in which she imagines a meeting of these two women for afternoon tea and conversation about their lives. And yes, Frederick Douglass does come up in their talks.
This book is recommended for readers age 4+, but I think it is more appropriate for readers age 6+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Orchard Books, Scholastic
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
January 23, 2016
An introduction to two very important historical figures which imagines shared ideas over shared cups of tea and discusses each person's legacy.
I like the way the questions posed in both back stories are similar, which helps readers understand why these two people made for logical allies/friends. The questions both Anthony and Douglass ask themselves are powerful and written at a level that is perfectly suited to the audience. Also, I like that the questions arise after each has sought out education.
I think some of the formatting of the story is stronger than others. For example, the first spread in which Anthony and Douglass both have a cup of tea raised to their lips set me up to expect that each spread would read in a similar fashion with Anthony's story on one side and Douglass' mirrored on the other. I figured that the text would read in a parallel fashion (as it does), but that this would be further supported by the fact that physically the story was arranged in a parallel way. The spreads in which the tea is being shared is a bit anticlimactic in that no action is taken, just talking.
An author's note, bibliography, and photos are included in the back matter.
Recommended for grades 3-5+.
I like the way the questions posed in both back stories are similar, which helps readers understand why these two people made for logical allies/friends. The questions both Anthony and Douglass ask themselves are powerful and written at a level that is perfectly suited to the audience. Also, I like that the questions arise after each has sought out education.
I think some of the formatting of the story is stronger than others. For example, the first spread in which Anthony and Douglass both have a cup of tea raised to their lips set me up to expect that each spread would read in a similar fashion with Anthony's story on one side and Douglass' mirrored on the other. I figured that the text would read in a parallel fashion (as it does), but that this would be further supported by the fact that physically the story was arranged in a parallel way. The spreads in which the tea is being shared is a bit anticlimactic in that no action is taken, just talking.
An author's note, bibliography, and photos are included in the back matter.
Recommended for grades 3-5+.
March 13, 2016
Wisconsin author Dean Robbins shares an imagined meeting between real life friends Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. I wish there had been a bit more to show what people who didn't have rights looked like, so that kids could imagine it and empathize. Phenomenal illustrations from husband and wife team Qualls and Alko. Pair with ELIZABETH STARTED ALL THE TROUBLE. Mentor text for persuasive writing (examples of speech writers).
February 4, 2016
Beautiful illustrations that have been well-researched (see illustrator's note on copyright page). Author's note in the back gives further information about the friendship between Anthony and Douglass. Wish there was more information in the text of the book.
March 20, 2016
a remarkable bit of history told in a manner that will introduce little people to two great American minds and their ideas of justice and equality.
July 12, 2022
Two Friends Dean Robbins
When looking for materials to use in a workshop about tea and writing, I discovered "Two Friends" through random Googling. The story by Dean Robbins and illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko is about Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. They were not only reformers but also friends who had tea together. In 2001, a statue called Let’s Have Tea was installed in Susan B. Anthony Square Park in Rochester, New York. The city also celebrated the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass’s birth.
This book is a twist on the picture book biography, a staple in children’s lit. It’s a way to teach history in bite-sized pieces, often taking a small detail and building a story around it. Like many picture book biographies, it includes biographical sources, including historical photos and a bibliography, which includes Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, published in 1845. This book may be for kids, but its source material is the real deal.
Two Friends came out in 2016, so as you read, imagine you’re an elementary-aged child who is learning this slice of American history for the first time. You’re reading the words, but you’re also paying a lot of attention to the pictures.
Picture book biographies serve young readers by using the illustrations as a way to show, not tell, the research that went into the story. Within the illustrations are the actual words of Anthony and Douglass. They’re worked into the moon, into bloomers. They come out of Douglass’s and Anthony’s mouths as they give speeches, as if they’re on paper. The reformers actually stand on their own words. Words rise from their teacups: “Right is of no gender, is of no color. Truth is of no color,” and “We are all brethren.”
The text distills this period of American history into simple sentences for young readers. Both reformers are motivated by the same thing — “The right to live free. The right to vote.” — so that sentence is repeated for Anthony and Douglass. Anthony’s motivation is expressed this way: “Some people had rights, while others had none. Why shouldn’t she have them, too?” Douglass’s motivation is identical, except for one word: “Some people had rights, while others had none. Why shouldn’t he have them, too?
“Outrageous!”
That’s what a man in a top hat with a moustache shouts at Anthony while she gives a speech. The book summarizes his complaint as, “Some people liked her ideas about rights for women. Others didn’t.” Similarly, when Douglass is giving a speech, a man in a different-colored top hat with a different-colored moustache appears to be seething. Again, his outrage is expressed as a simple refrain: “Some people liked his ideas about rights for African Americans. Others didn’t.”
Too often we think about history in chunks. It’s February, African-American History Month, so we’ll talk about Frederick Douglass. Susan B. Anthony will have to wait until the November, when we recall that she was arrested for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election. This book forced me to consider not only the overlap between the civil rights and women’s rights movements, but also how each inspired the other.
The author and illustrators have both worked on other historical books for children. Author Dean Robbins has written two other picture book biographies and has two more coming out — one in 2019 and one in 2020. He was a journalist before he turned to writing for children. When he went to Rochester to do research for this book and learned Anthony and Douglass met for tea, he described his reaction to that fact this way in an interview with International Literacy Association: “I’d felt similarly elated as a kid when I read comic books in which Batman and Superman teamed up as an invincible pair. It seemed too good to be true.”
Illustrators Alko and Qualls are a wife-and-husband team. Their first collaboration was in 2015 on The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage.
The key to Two Friends is the collaboration between Anthony and Douglass, expressed in these eight words: “Susan liked Frederick’s ideas, and he liked hers.” That’s why the two friends had tea, to learn more about each other’s ideas and the people behind them.
Tea is the beginning and ending of the book, providing bookends to the history lesson. Two friends, two candles, “two saucers, two cups, and two slices of cake.” The tea provides a cozy feeling, with snow outside, a crackling fire inside, and friends sipping from blue and white china cups, despite the upheaval in the middle of the story, as each reformer attempts to change the world: Anthony, with speeches; Douglass, with his newspaper.
It’s no secret I’m a tea-lover. I believe more conversations held while sipping this beverage would put more good in the world. But the story is not only about two reformers strategizing to change the world. It’s also about friendship.
“They would get right to work. As soon as they finished their tea.”
When looking for materials to use in a workshop about tea and writing, I discovered "Two Friends" through random Googling. The story by Dean Robbins and illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko is about Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. They were not only reformers but also friends who had tea together. In 2001, a statue called Let’s Have Tea was installed in Susan B. Anthony Square Park in Rochester, New York. The city also celebrated the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass’s birth.
This book is a twist on the picture book biography, a staple in children’s lit. It’s a way to teach history in bite-sized pieces, often taking a small detail and building a story around it. Like many picture book biographies, it includes biographical sources, including historical photos and a bibliography, which includes Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, published in 1845. This book may be for kids, but its source material is the real deal.
Two Friends came out in 2016, so as you read, imagine you’re an elementary-aged child who is learning this slice of American history for the first time. You’re reading the words, but you’re also paying a lot of attention to the pictures.
Picture book biographies serve young readers by using the illustrations as a way to show, not tell, the research that went into the story. Within the illustrations are the actual words of Anthony and Douglass. They’re worked into the moon, into bloomers. They come out of Douglass’s and Anthony’s mouths as they give speeches, as if they’re on paper. The reformers actually stand on their own words. Words rise from their teacups: “Right is of no gender, is of no color. Truth is of no color,” and “We are all brethren.”
The text distills this period of American history into simple sentences for young readers. Both reformers are motivated by the same thing — “The right to live free. The right to vote.” — so that sentence is repeated for Anthony and Douglass. Anthony’s motivation is expressed this way: “Some people had rights, while others had none. Why shouldn’t she have them, too?” Douglass’s motivation is identical, except for one word: “Some people had rights, while others had none. Why shouldn’t he have them, too?
“Outrageous!”
That’s what a man in a top hat with a moustache shouts at Anthony while she gives a speech. The book summarizes his complaint as, “Some people liked her ideas about rights for women. Others didn’t.” Similarly, when Douglass is giving a speech, a man in a different-colored top hat with a different-colored moustache appears to be seething. Again, his outrage is expressed as a simple refrain: “Some people liked his ideas about rights for African Americans. Others didn’t.”
Too often we think about history in chunks. It’s February, African-American History Month, so we’ll talk about Frederick Douglass. Susan B. Anthony will have to wait until the November, when we recall that she was arrested for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election. This book forced me to consider not only the overlap between the civil rights and women’s rights movements, but also how each inspired the other.
The author and illustrators have both worked on other historical books for children. Author Dean Robbins has written two other picture book biographies and has two more coming out — one in 2019 and one in 2020. He was a journalist before he turned to writing for children. When he went to Rochester to do research for this book and learned Anthony and Douglass met for tea, he described his reaction to that fact this way in an interview with International Literacy Association: “I’d felt similarly elated as a kid when I read comic books in which Batman and Superman teamed up as an invincible pair. It seemed too good to be true.”
Illustrators Alko and Qualls are a wife-and-husband team. Their first collaboration was in 2015 on The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage.
The key to Two Friends is the collaboration between Anthony and Douglass, expressed in these eight words: “Susan liked Frederick’s ideas, and he liked hers.” That’s why the two friends had tea, to learn more about each other’s ideas and the people behind them.
Tea is the beginning and ending of the book, providing bookends to the history lesson. Two friends, two candles, “two saucers, two cups, and two slices of cake.” The tea provides a cozy feeling, with snow outside, a crackling fire inside, and friends sipping from blue and white china cups, despite the upheaval in the middle of the story, as each reformer attempts to change the world: Anthony, with speeches; Douglass, with his newspaper.
It’s no secret I’m a tea-lover. I believe more conversations held while sipping this beverage would put more good in the world. But the story is not only about two reformers strategizing to change the world. It’s also about friendship.
“They would get right to work. As soon as they finished their tea.”
Read
June 19, 2017Twin Text:
Rosie Rever, Engineer
Beaty, A. (2013). Rosie Revere, engineer. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.
Beaty, A. (2013). Rosie Revere, engineer. New York, NY:Harry N. Abrams.
Rationale:
I paired these two books together, because the nonfiction book talks about Susan B. Anthony and how she fought for woman’s rights. The story Two Friends is about Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglas talking back and forth about how one fought for woman’s rights and the other fought for African American rights. I paired Rosie Revere, Engineer with this book because it shows Rosie, a girl, who is a tinker and an inventor. She is trying to make a contraption for her great aunt to fly. It doesn’t work, but her aunt says it is a raging success. These matched well together, because they both talk about strong woman doing something.
Text structure and text features:
Pictures
Problem Solution
Comparison and Contrast
Strategy application:
I would use a Venn Diagram to compare Susan B. Anthony and Rosie. This would be a great way to compare two strong women in fiction and nonfiction. They could see how they are alike and different.
Camp, D. (2010, February). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400-408.
Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing.
Rosie Rever, Engineer
Beaty, A. (2013). Rosie Revere, engineer. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.
Beaty, A. (2013). Rosie Revere, engineer. New York, NY:Harry N. Abrams.
Rationale:
I paired these two books together, because the nonfiction book talks about Susan B. Anthony and how she fought for woman’s rights. The story Two Friends is about Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglas talking back and forth about how one fought for woman’s rights and the other fought for African American rights. I paired Rosie Revere, Engineer with this book because it shows Rosie, a girl, who is a tinker and an inventor. She is trying to make a contraption for her great aunt to fly. It doesn’t work, but her aunt says it is a raging success. These matched well together, because they both talk about strong woman doing something.
Text structure and text features:
Pictures
Problem Solution
Comparison and Contrast
Strategy application:
I would use a Venn Diagram to compare Susan B. Anthony and Rosie. This would be a great way to compare two strong women in fiction and nonfiction. They could see how they are alike and different.
Camp, D. (2010, February). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400-408.
Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing.
October 6, 2019
This is a story about two of America’s well-known historical figures getting together and having tea. It is meant to be a colorful visual of struggles in America’s past, of the ugly oppression that African americans and women have gone through and fought for. It doesn’t go too deep into the details because it is a children’s book. Susan B. And Frederick were friends/ associates and did help one another but also disagreed with each other. This book highlights the importance of helping your friends and sticking up for each other in their time of need. “We are stronger together,” is the main theme of the book. There are a lot of inconsistencies in the facts if you go deep down into the history of Susan B. And Frederick (college level stuff) but you don’t have to go there. If you are using this as a visual in your classroom to guide a civics lesson on helping others of different races and genders, or teaching others to be good community stewards then this is a good story for that.
I liked it overall for what it really was trying to get across: friendship, helping each other, human rights, teaching history, equality.
I didn’t like the fact that the facts are skewed but how do you really explain politics to young minds and keep them focused on the main point this in this era.
I liked it overall for what it really was trying to get across: friendship, helping each other, human rights, teaching history, equality.
I didn’t like the fact that the facts are skewed but how do you really explain politics to young minds and keep them focused on the main point this in this era.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2017
This book encompasses the passion of two passionate people filled with a sincere passion to bring rights to women and to African American people. Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass became friends and enjoyed a cup of tea and a bit of fellowship with an exchange of ideas. Susan wanted freedom and also the right to vote. Frederick Douglass simply wanted rights to live free and the right to vote. Aligned in their ideals and they desires, they became advocates and supporters of one another, in the rights for human dignities enjoyed by other people. This book is based on a statue that stands where the two friends worked on their ideas for the freedoms they so valiantly fought for. This book is delightful, enjoyed the illustrations as much as the story. A brillant marriage of text and illustration. I hated for this story to end! A great book for schools and school library as well.
November 10, 2024
Throughout the book you follow Susan B Anthony as she becomes passionate about woman's rights. You follow Susan has she begins to give her speeches about women rights. One day she decides to team up with Fredrick Douglas. Fredrick was formally a slave but after becoming free he began writing for a newspaper. Within the newspaper he commonly wrote about his idea for every man to be able to vote, no matter the color of their skin. Susan B Anthony and Fredrick Douglas then decided to team up and work together to spread their ideas through newspaper's and speeches.
I would use this book with in a second grade class. This will be combined with a writing task where students will be creating their own freedom newspaper. I will set up groups of students and tell them they need to persuade people that everyone should have the right to vote because we have gone back in time before 1920.
I would use this book with in a second grade class. This will be combined with a writing task where students will be creating their own freedom newspaper. I will set up groups of students and tell them they need to persuade people that everyone should have the right to vote because we have gone back in time before 1920.
March 19, 2019
Title: Two Friends
Author: Dean Robbins
Genre: Cultural Picture Book
Dean Robbins' "Two Friends" is a mediocre attempt to compare the lives and hardships of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Because historically, Anthony and Douglass both advocated for the others' causes, Robbins attempted to show that relationship between the two of them, by which he created a comparison between their two fights. Anthony, a white woman, is fighting for women to have the right to vote while Douglass, a black man, is fighting to end slavery. While they did face similar backlash for standing against the norms, Douglass was far more ostracized than Anthony would ever be, making this children's picture book, in my opinion, an inadequate learning tool.
Author: Dean Robbins
Genre: Cultural Picture Book
Dean Robbins' "Two Friends" is a mediocre attempt to compare the lives and hardships of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Because historically, Anthony and Douglass both advocated for the others' causes, Robbins attempted to show that relationship between the two of them, by which he created a comparison between their two fights. Anthony, a white woman, is fighting for women to have the right to vote while Douglass, a black man, is fighting to end slavery. While they did face similar backlash for standing against the norms, Douglass was far more ostracized than Anthony would ever be, making this children's picture book, in my opinion, an inadequate learning tool.
May 6, 2019
Two Friends is a historical fiction written for children in grades 3 and up. The book has won many awards and has been honored in many different categories. One of them is the Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice award. This tells the story of how Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglas gained a friendship during their common interest in fighting for equality. The illustrations are dreamy which add more to the dreamy tone of the story. This was a book that gave young readers some insight on inequality. According to the author's note of the book, there is a statue in Rochester New York of the two of them sharing tea. There are also real pictures of the subjects in the back of the book, so when the story is finished, the children can get more into the depth of the details.
June 21, 2024
A short, beuatifully illustrated story that imagines two of our historyś greatest civil rights leaders having tea on a wintery day in Rochester, NY in the mid-1800ś. It is short on detail but the illustrations and back story serve as a fine introduction to both individuals. Just as the details of their causes is right to the point, the depth is just enough to serve as an opening to a unit on the time period but more particularly their lives. The artwork - a mixtitr of acrylics and collage is colorful and serves the mood and setting very well. Upon further research, we can find out that a statue in Rochester stands to form somewhat of a basis for the story - two Friends having tea.
April 15, 2018
This lovely picture book introduces children to the little-known friendship of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, two 19th century civil rights heroes who loved and supported one another for over 40 years. These two young girls worked together for the common goal of good for all, especially to get women and African-Americans their rights as US citizens. They were remarkable, exceptional people ahead of their times and ahead of ours now. As people we should be learning all we can from their great example that was set in this story.
December 30, 2021
The way the book is set up is original and interesting. We have our two characters meeting for tea, but as they sit and enjoy each other's company, the reader gets back story about each of them. The author checks back in with them at their tea table, then returns to telling about their work for change. This could be a pitfall for a book, especially one for young readers, but it works here. The art is fantastic. Using collage piece of speeches and text was a brilliant choice. I wish there had been an art note explaining the texts that were used.
May 31, 2023
Introduces Anthony and Douglass and shows them meeting together to talk, giving a sense of their friendship. Doesn't really address (in the text) the ways they publicly worked together. Brief backmatter.
Lighter on text and with a different focus than Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass.
Lighter on text and with a different focus than Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass.
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