Laura Secord's Brave Walk

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

The author of several young-adult historical novels, including Laura’s
Choice: The Story of Laura Secord (1993), Crook only partly succeeds in
the ambitious and difficult task of sharing with early readers, through
a picture-book format, the story of Secord’s famous 19-mile
walk-of-warning during the War of 1812. In just a dozen pages of text,
Crook tells Laura’s tale, beginning with the American declaration of
war in June 1812, and concluding a year later with Laura’s delivering
the Americans’ plans to Lieutenant FitzGibbon. Crook’s careful
attention to detail confirms her intimate knowledge of her subject
matter and the time period, but that strength also contributes to the
work’s weakness. Many terms, like Upper and Lower Canada, and place
names, such as Beaver Dams and Fort George, are likely meaningless to
most six- to nine-year-olds who know little, if anything, about that
period of Canada’s history. Even evocative sensory images like “the
smell of sulphur from the guns hung thick in the air” will need to be
explained rather than experienced. A brief concluding “Author’s
Historical Note” confirms Laura’s journey actually occurred and adds
details concerning Laura’s eventual recognition for bravery.

Lawrason’s 12 full-color illustrations effectively portray the time
period but only partially convey the text’s emotions. As well, two
contradict the text. Readers are told that Laura “led [her children]
down to the dug-out cold cellar below their house.” While the text
indicates five children, the illustration contains only four. Later,
according to the text, Laura rescues her wounded husband from behind
American lines, but the illustration clearly shows him to be in the rear
of the advancing British. Too much for younger readers and too little
for older readers who would have benefited from an expanded text.
Recommended with reservations.