The Middle Passage

Thank you to Jessica Gossage.

Citation:          Feelings, T. (1995). The middle passage: White ships/black cargo. New York: Dial Books

Summary: This picture book written by Tom Feelings contains 64 paintings but no words. In the preface of the book, Feelings explains that telling this story through illustrations was the only way by which he could convey the account. The book took him over 20 years to complete and after looking at the book it is easy to understand why. For a text with no words the book is powerful, moving, and epitomizes the quote, " A picture is worth a thousand words."

Illustrations: The entire plot line of the story, characters, theme, and mood is shown and told through the illustrations in the book. The journey, the emotion, and the dark side of humanity is etched on every page. The author/illustrators use of color aids the reader by developing a tone and mood that is undeniable. The plot of the book at first might seem difficult to follow considering there are no words yet the reader is left with no confusion about what is taking place, who the characters are, and what their journey entailed. Again, although there are no words, the characters raw emotional and painful experiences can be felt on every page.

Grade Level : I would recommend that this book be used for grades 6 and up. Although I think our students need to know about our history, the images in the text are raw and hold nothing back. I would feel that the book may be a little much for students below grade 6.

Reflection: I felt as though this book was captivating. Usually in a book with no words the length of time to view the book is minimal but I found myself entranced by the images, the sadness, and the brutality of the pages. My heart was saddened but certain questions stood out to me and they were the same questions that my students answered when reading Elie Wiesel's Night  this year.... "How did they survive? What made them persevere? How did humanity allow this to happen?"