Rescuing the Declaration of Independence: How We Almost Lost the Words That Built America

Fotheringham’s (Most Wanted) action-packed illustrations, hand-drawn and digitally rendered, bring to life a little-known piece of United States history. If not for Stephen Pleasonton, a clerk for then–Secretary of State James Monroe, the burning of the nascent nation’s capital by British troops during the War of 1812 would have meant the destruction of important records. “Stephen lived and breathed paper. His job was not a powerful post, but it came with a particularly spectacular perk”—caring for the nation’s important founding documents. Redding (Google It) imbues her often-alliterative narration with a sense of urgency, echoed in the artwork, as Pleasanton works to save original manuscripts such as the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Nearly every spread features exigent motion, whether a galloping horse or Pleasonton running. The clerk oversees the sewing of large sacks for the documents, flags down evacuating wagons on which to stow them, and then hides them in the Virginia countryside while Washington burns. Back matter provides interesting historical details about some of the manuscripts and their road to the National Archives. Ages 4–8. [em](Apr.) [/em]