This book received the Caldecott Honor (2008)
Exposition: Henry is a slave boy, who does not know his birthday, and his master is good to him. One day, when his master lays dying, he gave Henry to his son. He worked in his new master's tobacco factory. One day he met another slave named Nancy. They married and had several children together.Conflict: Henry's wife and children are sold when Henry was at work in the tobacco factory.
Rising Action: Nancy's master has lost a lot of money and she is worried that the master will sell the children. While at work, Henry finds out that his family has been sold. At lunchtime, he rushes to the town center and sees his wife and children carried away in carts. Henry knows he will never see his family again. Henry thinks about being free and asks James, another slave, and Dr. Smith, a white man who thought slavery was wrong, to help him be free. Henry comes up with the idea of mailing himself, in a box, to a place where there are no slaves. Dr. Smith decided to mail Henry to some of his friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Henry injured himself so that he can stay home from work.
Climax: Henry got into the box and James nailed the box shut. The clerks were not careful with the box and Henry was thrown and put upside down and loaded onto a ship.
Falling Action: Some men wanted to sit down. The box was lifted to be right side up and the men sat down on Henry's box. The ship takes the box to Pennsylvania.
Resolution: Henry arrives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania safely. He now has a birthday, March 30, 1849. Everyone now calls him Henry "Box" Brown.
Kadir Nelson is the illustrator of this stunning picture book. Kadir Nelson uses rich and dark colors to establish mood. His illustrations depict the sadness when Henry's family is sold and he knows he will never see them again. He uses a realism, or representational, style which add to the mood. Beautiful illustrations added to an inspirational story.
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