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Before She was Harriet
Who was Harriet Tubman before she was Harriet?
We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken. As Araminta she was a young girl whose father showed her the stars and the first steps on the path to freedom. Get to know her in all her stages of life through this picture book biography in verse.
We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken. As Araminta she was a young girl whose father showed her the stars and the first steps on the path to freedom. Get to know her in all her stages of life through this picture book biography in verse.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 591 reviews
May 30, 2019
"A lush and lyrical biography of Harriet Tubman, written in verse and illustrated by an award-winning artist.
We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken. An evocative poem and opulent watercolors come together to honor a woman of humble origins whose courage and compassion make her larger than life."
We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken. An evocative poem and opulent watercolors come together to honor a woman of humble origins whose courage and compassion make her larger than life."
November 25, 2017
Gorgeous book. I liked the circular nature of the story and the reminder that Harriet Tubman wore many names and roles during her life.
March 9, 2024
I found my digital copy of BEFORE SHE WAS HARRIET by Lesa Cline-Ransome on the Libby app. All opinions are mine.
This is s children's book, appropriate for ages 6 to 10, based on the content, in my estimation. I say this because I think the material, which is purely historical, will cause young readers and listeners to want more information and do early research. In that way, I think this book will encourage wonderful skill building and curiosity. The information presented is interesting and really brings this important historical figure to life.
Artwork is stunning. More of a realistic style than the abstractions often found in children's literature.
Readers and listeners younger than 6 might have trouble connecting to this one, even though the writing style of short pleasing lines seems directed toward them. The narrative and structure the author chose, in delivering the information in reverse, are fairly advanced.
Rating: 🛤🛤🛤.5 / 5 underground railroads
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Mar 1 '24
Format: Digital, Kindle, Libby
Read this book if you like:
👦 children's literature
⏳️ historical literature
👵🏾 Harriet Tubman stories
🖼 beautiful artwork
This is s children's book, appropriate for ages 6 to 10, based on the content, in my estimation. I say this because I think the material, which is purely historical, will cause young readers and listeners to want more information and do early research. In that way, I think this book will encourage wonderful skill building and curiosity. The information presented is interesting and really brings this important historical figure to life.
Artwork is stunning. More of a realistic style than the abstractions often found in children's literature.
Readers and listeners younger than 6 might have trouble connecting to this one, even though the writing style of short pleasing lines seems directed toward them. The narrative and structure the author chose, in delivering the information in reverse, are fairly advanced.
Rating: 🛤🛤🛤.5 / 5 underground railroads
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Mar 1 '24
Format: Digital, Kindle, Libby
Read this book if you like:
👦 children's literature
⏳️ historical literature
👵🏾 Harriet Tubman stories
🖼 beautiful artwork
May 28, 2018
Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.
I love children's nonfiction books about important historical figures, because I think it's so important that little ones are taught not only fairytales, but real-life matters and history, too. Harriet is certainly a woman that every children should be taught about and inspired by, and I loved the twist in the sense that this book traces her life backward, before coming full circle 'round to her as a peaceful old woman, basking in the freedom she risked her life for.
I love children's nonfiction books about important historical figures, because I think it's so important that little ones are taught not only fairytales, but real-life matters and history, too. Harriet is certainly a woman that every children should be taught about and inspired by, and I loved the twist in the sense that this book traces her life backward, before coming full circle 'round to her as a peaceful old woman, basking in the freedom she risked her life for.
June 30, 2020
I listened to the audio with my children. A biography of Harriet Truman written in verse showing all the roles she played throughout her life and her importance in our historic makeup.
September 20, 2020
5/5
This book honors Tubman’s legacy by beginning with a portrait of her as an old woman and moving backward through time to show what a difference she made as a suffragist, a general, a Union spy, a nurse, a daughter and aunt, a conductor on the underground railroad, and a former slave – a woman
“who dreamed
of living long enough
to one day
be old
stiff and achy
tired and worn and wrinkled
and free.”
This book honors Tubman’s legacy by beginning with a portrait of her as an old woman and moving backward through time to show what a difference she made as a suffragist, a general, a Union spy, a nurse, a daughter and aunt, a conductor on the underground railroad, and a former slave – a woman
“who dreamed
of living long enough
to one day
be old
stiff and achy
tired and worn and wrinkled
and free.”
January 17, 2018
Exquisite watercolor illustrations complement an engaging story that allows readers to look back in time on the life journey of Harriet Tubman. I appreciated how the author chose to begin the story near the end of Tubman's life now that she's "tired and worn / her legs stiff / her back achy" (unpaged) after all that she's been through rather than at the beginning. As she reflects on where she's been, readers learn about the many roles she's played throughout her life, and the various names she went by, reeling back those memories all the way to her childhood, and then returning to her life now. There is something to love about the text and illustrations on every page, including the gentle way she is assisted onto a train, and the way her story concludes. It's clear that the dream she once had of being free has come true, and now she can rest on her labors. Somehow, this book manages to capture the essence of Harriet Tubman throughout the decades in a way that others may not have been able to do. This book will fit perfectly in a collection of books devoted to civil rights or one focused on self-empowerment or strong women. As I closed the book after reading it several times, I wondered what Harriet would make of the world around her today.
April 3, 2018
One of my favorite books of 2017. I can't believe I forgot to review it last year :(((((
February 22, 2021
Featured in a grandma reads session.
Unpeeling the onion on the life of Harriet Tubman, back to the days when she was Araminta, a young slave taught life skills of reading the woods and stars at night by her father that helped her in the years when she would become a conductor of others to their freedom, a Moses among her own, Aunt Harriet, a nurse to those who fought, a spy and a general to a nation who needed her, and even later when some may have thought she was done, a suffragist. This remarkable woman deserves every remembrance that was, is and will be written of her heroic efforts and exponential results.
I was happy reading this to my group. She's one of the heroes that stays uppermost in my mind when I think of that awful era. Glad I have the chance to share this with my listeners!
Unpeeling the onion on the life of Harriet Tubman, back to the days when she was Araminta, a young slave taught life skills of reading the woods and stars at night by her father that helped her in the years when she would become a conductor of others to their freedom, a Moses among her own, Aunt Harriet, a nurse to those who fought, a spy and a general to a nation who needed her, and even later when some may have thought she was done, a suffragist. This remarkable woman deserves every remembrance that was, is and will be written of her heroic efforts and exponential results.
I was happy reading this to my group. She's one of the heroes that stays uppermost in my mind when I think of that awful era. Glad I have the chance to share this with my listeners!
December 11, 2020
A gorgeous and poetic book about Harriet Tubman, told in a unique narrative style of her life in reverse. Beautiful illustrations. I only refrained from giving it five stars because I wanted MORE. More detail, more information, more everything. But that might be the point. Intrigue kids with the basics of her astounding life, and make them seek out more.
Read
September 6, 20234th grade classroom library review series:
5! such beautiful illustrations, like honestly breathtaking. the text is super short, but it depicts different stages of Harriet Tubman's personal and political life. and while the text is short, it's quite moving and written forcefully.
i think the emotion of the illustrations really helps make the stories of the Combahee River raid and other parts of Harriet Tubman's legacy stick with people, including young kiddos!
5! such beautiful illustrations, like honestly breathtaking. the text is super short, but it depicts different stages of Harriet Tubman's personal and political life. and while the text is short, it's quite moving and written forcefully.
i think the emotion of the illustrations really helps make the stories of the Combahee River raid and other parts of Harriet Tubman's legacy stick with people, including young kiddos!
August 3, 2025
I listened to this title. I need to see it with my eyes as I am sure I have missed out on amazing illustrations based on tge cover art.
August 12, 2017
There are plenty of picture book biographies of Harriet Tubman, but the Ransomes have created a beautiful and poetic look at her life. Each time the page turns, another part of her life is named and shown. Old woman, suffragist, General Tubman, Union spy, nurse, Aunt Harriet, Moses, Minty, Araminta...each of those aspects led to the old woman who was "worn and wrinkled and free."
While the beautiful watercolors show details of Harriet's world - horse-drawn buggies, ladies in long skirts and wide hats at a suffragette meeting, boats slipping across a river to freedom - the text is just as lovely. Lines like, "before her voice became soft and raspy it was loud and angry rising above injustice," capture her spirit. The spirit that was in "a wisp of a woman with the courage of a lion."
Some of my favorite scenes are those with Harriet in the night, clutching her walking stick, or looking up at the stars with her father. But I think the one I like best of all shows Harriet being helped onto a train by a Pullman Porter. It links all she did to free her people with the continued struggle and long road to the Civil Rights era.
This is a must for school libraries and public library children's collections.
I received an advance copy from the publisher for review purposes.
While the beautiful watercolors show details of Harriet's world - horse-drawn buggies, ladies in long skirts and wide hats at a suffragette meeting, boats slipping across a river to freedom - the text is just as lovely. Lines like, "before her voice became soft and raspy it was loud and angry rising above injustice," capture her spirit. The spirit that was in "a wisp of a woman with the courage of a lion."
Some of my favorite scenes are those with Harriet in the night, clutching her walking stick, or looking up at the stars with her father. But I think the one I like best of all shows Harriet being helped onto a train by a Pullman Porter. It links all she did to free her people with the continued struggle and long road to the Civil Rights era.
This is a must for school libraries and public library children's collections.
I received an advance copy from the publisher for review purposes.
March 11, 2018
I did not expect to be impressed by this book. There have been so many books done about Tubman, some of them fairly recently, that were well done, I couldn't see what was left to say at this time. Well, the book proved me wrong. It is told in a reverse kind of "This is the house that Jack Built" poem. It starts with an old lady sitting on a bench likely waiting for a train to arrive and watching other people around her. It begins " Here she sits/ an old woman/ tired and worn/ her legs still/ her back achy". It then goes back one double spread page at a time and recounts how before she was an old woman she was....and on and on till we are back at her girlhood, with the name Araminta. It is very well done this method allows the author to show all the varied roles Tubman played in her life and what a well rounded amazing woman she was. This would be my go to book for the younger crowd but also would be a great read aloud to an older grade learning about Black History Month or Women's Month. In many ways this might be the most impressive book so far that I've read of this year's awards!
September 14, 2019
First of all, the poetic storytelling here...with its pattern of "Before she was...she was" is amazing. It takes us back into Harriet Tubman's life from a very old woman, all the way back to the young girl who was born a slave...It reminds us of Cisneros's onion analogy -- how we are all that 9-year-old, and 8-year-old...Harriet was, in her amazing life, a suffragist, a general, a spy, a nurse, an aunt, a conductor named Moses, she was Minty and Araminta and Harriet.
She was a hero.
The illustrations are just as moving and evocative as the words. A masterful book.
Slapping my teacher-hat on here, this book would be a splendid mentor text for student writing...elementary all the way thru college...use the pattern to write memoir or narrative nonfiction. I could have had so much fun with this book.
She was a hero.
The illustrations are just as moving and evocative as the words. A masterful book.
Slapping my teacher-hat on here, this book would be a splendid mentor text for student writing...elementary all the way thru college...use the pattern to write memoir or narrative nonfiction. I could have had so much fun with this book.
June 2, 2017
This is more of an impressionistic biography but a beautiful one. Sparely written - are they poems? Only a few words on each line and not many on each page and nary a comma or period in sight. But these few words are evocative. The illustrations are gorgeous and powerful double-page spreads that depict Harriet Tubman at various stages of her life. I found the second-to-last spread especially poignant as this one depicts a freed Harriet boarding a train in one car while white passengers board another car.
July 19, 2021
Re-read in 2021: I was able hear the author read this beautiful picture book at the BYU Books for Young Readers Symposium. It was a moving experience!
Read in 2018: Gorgeous illustrations!
Read in 2018: Gorgeous illustrations!
October 7, 2018
Harriet Tubman was much more than just the conductor on the underground railroad. This talks about all parts of her life and shows that she was just so much more than the one thing we know her for! I love it.
November 8, 2017
Read this with my 10 year old grand daughter. The illustrations were beautiful. She now understands how you can have an Underground Railroad with no train and no tracks!
December 10, 2017
I loved the text and art in this one. Another good one for a mentor text.
December 11, 2017
Fantastic verse-like sparse text and gorgeous illustrations. My only complaint is that it has no author's note or back matter.
February 7, 2018
A fantastic reverse chronology of Harriet Tubman and who she was before we knew her as we do today.
February 4, 2020
Fascinating backwards look through Harriet Tubman's life. Teaches about her life both before and after her famous Underground Railroad days. What an incredible woman.
June 15, 2018
An inspiring story - one I will share with my students this year. Beautifully written.
June 19, 2021
Before She Was Harriet is a children's picture book by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated James E. Ransome. It is a memorable, lyrical reverse-chronological walk through the life of an American icon.
Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some thirteen missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.
Cline-Ransome's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Cline-Ransome’s free verse emphasizes Tubman’s bravery in the face of a multitude of dangers. Ransome’s watercolor portraits imbue Tubman with a steely determination – at every age in lush scenes often set against blazing summer skies and blue, moonlit nights.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. This striking reverse chronology opens with a regal portrait of an elderly Harriet Tubman, after which the narrative chart her decades of work in pursuit of equality. It describes the array of roles Tubman played throughout her life, including suffragist, abolitionist, Union spy, and conductor on the Underground Railroad. Beyond its recognition of all that Tubman accomplished, the book serves as a powerful reminder of how all children carry within them the potential for greatness.
All in all, Before She Was Harriet is a wonderful and near perfect children's book about the amazing life of Harriet Tubman.
Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some thirteen missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.
Cline-Ransome's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Cline-Ransome’s free verse emphasizes Tubman’s bravery in the face of a multitude of dangers. Ransome’s watercolor portraits imbue Tubman with a steely determination – at every age in lush scenes often set against blazing summer skies and blue, moonlit nights.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. This striking reverse chronology opens with a regal portrait of an elderly Harriet Tubman, after which the narrative chart her decades of work in pursuit of equality. It describes the array of roles Tubman played throughout her life, including suffragist, abolitionist, Union spy, and conductor on the Underground Railroad. Beyond its recognition of all that Tubman accomplished, the book serves as a powerful reminder of how all children carry within them the potential for greatness.
All in all, Before She Was Harriet is a wonderful and near perfect children's book about the amazing life of Harriet Tubman.
July 19, 2020
Justice is served.
Cline-Ransome uses a clever narrative technique (story in reverse) to draw a broad outline of Tubman's many accomplishments. Much like George Washington Carver, Tubman often gets boiled down to a single thing, which does a disservice to her long, productive life.
The prose is sparse but evocative and provides a great starting point for learning about an important historical figure.
Cline-Ransome uses a clever narrative technique (story in reverse) to draw a broad outline of Tubman's many accomplishments. Much like George Washington Carver, Tubman often gets boiled down to a single thing, which does a disservice to her long, productive life.
The prose is sparse but evocative and provides a great starting point for learning about an important historical figure.
November 17, 2020
This biography has an average of 4.51 stars, the copyright date is 2017, and the major themes include civil rights, the abolition of slavery, and the civil war within the context of Harriet Tubman's life. My favorite part of this story is how it is told in backwards chronological order. I thought it was really creative, interesting, and inspiring how the author chose to start with Harriet as an old women and work backwards through all that she did in the world. I would absolutely use this story as a read aloud in my classroom to teach about the major events in American history through the eyes and incredible acts of Harriet Tubman.
November 17, 2020
Copyright Year:
Theme(s): Biography, Black Americans, Historical Figures
This is a great biographical picture book about an important figure in Black American history. Students may not know who Harriet Tubman was before reading this book but they will be able to learn about her and her history and legacy through this book. This is a good book to use for exploring themes around injustice in American history and how people overcame such injustices.
Theme(s): Biography, Black Americans, Historical Figures
This is a great biographical picture book about an important figure in Black American history. Students may not know who Harriet Tubman was before reading this book but they will be able to learn about her and her history and legacy through this book. This is a good book to use for exploring themes around injustice in American history and how people overcame such injustices.
February 11, 2020
Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome is a wonderfully written and illustrated biography of Harriet Tubman. The American hero is presented in gorgeous high-quality illustrations made possible through watercolor. This highly awarded book can be read in grade levels 3-5. It tells the story of Harriet through poem-like verses. As a reader, you learn of Harriet's many nicknames she had growing up and her contribution as an abolitionist and activist. General Tubman and her role as a union spy, Moses as the one who leads many to freedom through the underground railroad, and Araminta as the young girl who would one day have a tremendous impact on the world. This book is essentially a timeline that takes a look at the many roles Harriet had and how she came to be an honorable woman.
Using this book, I would incorporate it with a read-aloud for students to then have a discussion on Harriet Tubman, her impact on slavery, the history of slavery as well as other notable figures that had an impact. This could be incorporated with an "agents of change" project within social studies to encourage students to become their own change agents. After all, It is a great book that promotes change for a greater purpose. I think I could also use this book when students are learning about poetry. The book provides a great example of how poems can generate feelings to the reader. Students can write poems of their own after getting inspiration from this book.
Ultimately, I found myself adding this to my WOW book collection because of how beautifully written it is. The author's use of lyrical text allowed me to have an emotional connection to it. I enjoy reading books that bring emotional themes to the story and also include rich illustrations that match well with the text. The way that this book begins with Harriet as an older woman and ends with her as a young girl shows off her legacy in a beautiful reverse chronological order. I love the way Harriet was displayed in this book and it allowed me to learn more about her "Before she was Harriet." It is a book that I plan to have in my future classroom library for students to learn about Harriet through a well-written and inspirational narrative.
Using this book, I would incorporate it with a read-aloud for students to then have a discussion on Harriet Tubman, her impact on slavery, the history of slavery as well as other notable figures that had an impact. This could be incorporated with an "agents of change" project within social studies to encourage students to become their own change agents. After all, It is a great book that promotes change for a greater purpose. I think I could also use this book when students are learning about poetry. The book provides a great example of how poems can generate feelings to the reader. Students can write poems of their own after getting inspiration from this book.
Ultimately, I found myself adding this to my WOW book collection because of how beautifully written it is. The author's use of lyrical text allowed me to have an emotional connection to it. I enjoy reading books that bring emotional themes to the story and also include rich illustrations that match well with the text. The way that this book begins with Harriet as an older woman and ends with her as a young girl shows off her legacy in a beautiful reverse chronological order. I love the way Harriet was displayed in this book and it allowed me to learn more about her "Before she was Harriet." It is a book that I plan to have in my future classroom library for students to learn about Harriet through a well-written and inspirational narrative.
February 22, 2021
In celebration of Black History Month, I read this wonderful biography on Harriet Tubman. Known for so many roles in history, the beautiful watercolor illustrations bring to life the many faces of Harriet Tubman. Written as a powerful poem, the art and writing give honor to this great American hero. Powerful and outstanding, I learned so much!
Find Before She Was Harriet at the Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
Find Before She Was Harriet at the Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 591 reviews