Day after day, Nemy is forced to sow seeds in the sugarcane plantation, until one night, she follows a woman called Big Mother to a hidden shack. There, she finds a group of women braiding each other’s hair. But these are no ordinary braids. Hidden in each elaborate pattern is a secret – a message signalling their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave guide Nemy to a new home where she can be free? A picture book of love, liberation and legacy inspired by the true story of enslaved African women in Colombia braiding maps to freedom.
Amnesty International endorses this book as it vividly unfolds the story of an enslaved child who finds friendship, solidarity, and an escape to freedom.
A Just Imagine Book Breeze Pick for October
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Monique is a Black author of Jamaican descent. Her book When Mama Braids My Hair was nominated for the Ezra Jack Keats Award. She has an extensive background in education and fine arts coupled with a passion for teaching and preserving Black history and culture. She lives in New York City.
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Oboh is a Black digital illustrator who has been passionate about art since he was seven years old. In 2021, his work was selected for the American Illustration 40th Anniversary Annual. He lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria.
“A show-stopper of a picture book. The combination of a fantastic storyline, based on historical facts, and wonderful illustrations has created a book that simply has to be read. Put simply, this book should be in every school library!”
- Spy Readers
“A poignant tale of courage and resistance and of long-standing cultural traditions. Quietly tinged with hope, Duncan's narrative demonstrates how those in bondage used skills passed down over generations to find the liberty they desired. Moses’ digitally rendered art depicts intricate braid patterns; his dramatic use of color during the escape scene heightens the drama, bathing characters in deep blues as they make their way to freedom."
– Kirkus Reviews
“A captivating tale of struggle, female empowerment, and redemption that will leave you awestruck.”
- Leo Boix, poet and author
“Freedom Braids pays loving homage to an imagined child’s journey, embodying the experiences of countless people who endured the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and honoring traditions forged in community.”
—Uma Krishnaswami, author of Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Changed the World
“Vasco’s words and Palomino’s dazzling illustrations, full of movement and color, create a story of blooming. Girls become women; letters become words; a pueblo becomes literate. It’s a powerful read for parents and children whose upbringings are radically different.”
- The New York Times