A thorough and engaging dual biography of two pivotal figures in the American Revolution.

Author/illustrator team Sarah Jane Marsh and Edwin Fotheringham, who previously collaborated on Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word, return to the world of picture-book biography with this excellent title devoted to Founding Fathers John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Although very different in some ways - Adams was older, less prosperous, and far less fashionable; Hancock was fabulously wealthy, and somewhat vain - the two Bostonians became the focal point of colonial rebellion in Massachusetts, both before and during the American Revolution. Leadings meetings and marches, giving speeches and writing editorials, they stirred public sentiment up and kept it focused upon the wrongs committed by Britain against the colonists. Both were members of the Continental Congress, and when the war broke out, both were exempted from General Gage's offer of reconciliation. Through their outspoken activism, they had become the most wanted men in America...

With one exception (more on this anon), I found Most Wanted: The Revolutionary Partnership of John Hancock & Samuel Adams to be an absolutely outstanding work of history for younger primary school children. It addresses a pivotal moment in American history in an engaging, informative, and amusing way, focusing on two extraordinary individuals, their very different personalities, and the common cause that united them. The main narrative is rather conversational, with more details given at the rear, in the detailed timeline, and in the list of source notes for the many quotations used throughout. The accompanying artwork - I'm not sure of the medium - is lovely, and quite expressive, both in its depiction of the two main characters, and of the other people around them. I got a good chuckle out of the scene in which Hancock declares he will not be a slave to Britain, as the artwork shows his African-American servant (possibly slave) quirking an eyebrow at the reader, as if to emphasize the irony of this statement. My only note of caution with this one (the aforementioned exception) would be the author's note, which is something of a mixed bag. On the one hand, I appreciated the fact that Marsh invited her readers to think critically about the historical narratives presented to them, including her own. I also appreciated that she mentioned some of the less admirable aspects of this period in American history, including the existence of slavery, the conflicts with Native American peoples, and the exclusion of women from political rights and involvement. On the other hand, I was rather wary of the "mea culpa" tone of Marsh's note, in which she criticizes herself for using a "faulty lens," and for having "blind spots," as it seems to partake of that inward-looking, purity-seeking fervor one sees so much of these days, in current progressive discourse. There's really no need to center oneself, in such a way. Rather, acknowledge that all historical narratives are partial, and that they have a particular viewpoint, and make sure to encourage young readers to seek out other narratives and other viewpoints. One needn't apologize for not telling the "whole story," because no one story is the whole story.

Despite this criticism - and it is largely one of tone, rather than content, as I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of reading critically - I have chosen not to subtract a half star from my rating, as I would normally do in such a circumstance. Recommended to young history and biography lovers, and to anyone seeking children's books on the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers. It could be paired with something like Selene Castrovilla's Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, which chronicles another Revolutionary era friendship between notable figures. ( )

John Hancock (1736-1793) was a wealthy merchant and Samuel Adams (1722-1803) was a politician and activist. As a result of the Stamp Act, they joined forces to create a peaceful boycott of British goods. For a decade, they led protests in Boston prior to the Revolutionary War.
Read the recently published children’s picture book, then learn more at the websites:
MOST WANTED written by Sarah Jane Marsh and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham explores the partnership of John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Boston. Readers follow Hancock and Adams through the ten years leading up to the Revolutionary War. The picture book features both well-known and lesser-known quotes from primary source documents. It concludes with additional background information, a timeline, and author notes.
THE COMING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1764-1776 is a web project of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The project focuses on over a dozen key primary source documents. Many of these documents are featured in the Marsh’s picture book.
The Coming of the American Revolution
http://masshist.org/revolution
ARC courtesy of Disney/Hyperion. ( )