THE MIDNIGHT RIDE OF PAUL REVERE

Longfellow’s famous narrative poem gains a renewed sense of foreboding and urgency thanks to Thompson’s stark and somber illustrations. Using a multi-layered technique combining individual scratchboard elements with computer scanning, composition, and coloring, Thompson’s bold art highlights the emotional intensity of Revere’s legendary ride, which culminated in the start of the Revolutionary War. The pictures, framed in black, sit opposite stark black text on vivid white background. Shadows loom, mists float, and foreground details emerge almost three-dimensionally, creating drama and tension. Notable, too, is the use of color as the flat reds and browns Revere and other people contrasts with the luminous purple and aqua of the night and the harbor. A strikingly beautiful rendering by a new talent, the inclusion of a historical note makes this version especially useful for classroom settings. (Poetry. 6-10)