Review: Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?

By Tanya Smith

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What Parents Should Know
Henry's childhood and career are described in simple sentences, using a clever plot device (the date in the title); both the black-and-white and color illustrations are very simple.

Common Sense Media Review
May 29, Patrick Henry's birthday, was occasionally an eventful date in his life of Patrick Henry--he was elected Virginia's governor. Youngsters will enjoy the book's early passages, with their ample description of kid's stuff: swimming holes, walks in the woods, fishing. Young Henry was a child many readers will relate to.

In the second half of the book, the author outlines Henry's adult life, which parallels one of the most significant eras in American history. After his strong, spellbinding voice helped Henry win his first legal case against the crown of England, he vowed to use it to keep America free and independent of outside rule.

The background information in the author's note could have been easily absorbed into the text; doing so would have made some passages more interesting.

While the drawings are simple, the most interesting illustrations manage to show off Henry's many personalities: the lazy youth reclining on a sack of salt; the inspired, wildly gesturing orator. The book's best illustration is a color drawing that shows Henry in his element: deep in the woods, alone with nature, independent, living off the land. It was his desire to protect this cherished way of life that drove Henry to take up the fight for a free, independent America.

Jean Fritz wrote several other Revolutionary War-related works in the same style, including Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? and And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? Kay Moore's If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution uses a Q&A format to teach children about the American colonies' struggle for independence.