Open the Door to Liberty! by Anne Rockwell

Rockwell, Anne Open the Door to Liberty! 60 p. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 2009. $18.00. Language - G; Sexual Content - G; Violence - G. This is an illustrated short biography of Toussaint L'Ouverture. From birth, he was destined to be a leader. He grew up as a slave on the island of St. Domingue. He was given his freedom in his 30's and helped win a battle against the French soldiers, which is where he earned his nickname. L'Ouverture led the first victorious slave rebellion, and he helped rebuild the destroyed island. This book takes you through L'Ouverture's accomplishments and hardships. He eventually is caught and dies in a prison cell near the Swiss border. The biography was written well and was easy to understand. I was not crazy about the illustrations. EL, MS - ADVISABLE. Anna Mattheus, Elementary Teacher.