*Freedom on Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated R. Gregory Christie

Congo Square held a unique place in the slavery experience and holds a special reminder for Christians as we all look forward to Sunday!

*Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. little bee books, 2016. 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture books, Ages 8-10

Recommended For: Ages 4-10, especially when learning about LA state history, U.S. slavery, or U.S. music history

Congo Square was the place for freed African Americans and African American slaves to congregate on Sunday afternoons. Communication, music, dance, a marketplace and fellowship filled the square and drew plenty of people every Sunday afternoon. Weatherford’s text is simple and rhythmic, in keeping with the musical importance of the square:

Tuesdays, there were cows to feed,/ fields to plow, and rows to seed./ A moment without work was rare./ Five more days to Congo Square.

Beginning with Monday and moving through the week, the text and illustrations look ahead to the coming Sunday. Christie’s illustrations are remarkable. Until Saturday night, the pictures are static, moments of hard work frozen in time. Nearly every character pictured is looking to the right, drawing the reader to keep turning the page just as the text looks ahead to the coming Sunday.

When Sunday comes, people and text burst forth in sudden movement. Characters dance, look every which way, and leap off the page. The spirit of Congo Square comes alive.

While books about the slavery experience in the U.S. are nothing new, Freedom in Congo Square highlights a unique part of that history. A lengthy foreword by Congo Square historian Freddi Evans and a thorough author’s note at the end explain the historical and artistic significance of this public square in Louisiana for those who are unfamiliar with it. (The two notes are a bit repetitious, but both add extra details and are worth repeating.) The delight and eagerness with which these African Americans looked forward to Sunday during their hard weeks should remind us all to look forward not only to our own opportunities to worship and fellowship with other believers on Sundays, but to look ahead to when Jesus will return and end all the effects of sin on the earth!

Cautions: none

Overall Rating: 4.5

Worldview Rating: 4.5

Artistic Rating: 4.5

*indicates a starred review