The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Slate, Joseph

The Great Big Wagon That Rang: How the Liberty Bell Was Saved

32 pp. | Cavendish | September, 2002 | Trade ISBN 0-7614-5108-0 $$16.95

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Craig Spearing. This is a fictional account of a real event in 1777. A farmer selling his goods in Philadelphia ends up hiding a "giant bell" beneath the hay in his wagon to prevent the British from finding it and melting it into shot. The engaging tale is told in somewhat jerky verse in which "the great big wagon" is a frequent refrain. The book features fine harvest-toned images outlined in black that suggest woodcuts.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian