Hiding in Plain Sight

★ “Anderson (Lizzie Demands a Seat!, 2020) weaves questions through the text to heighten reader engagement in the events and employs a succinct sentence structure that palpably conveys the mission’s urgency… Comport immerses us in the drama with sepia-toned artwork that lends an aged feel to the framed pages. Meticulous illustrations employ the ‘scrapbook house’ collage style of the era, highlights of which include superbly detailed garments and period furniture. The subtle inclusion of timepieces throughout amplifies the exigency of Warne’s work. An apt companion to Marissa Moss’ books on Warne and Pinkerton, this is a lively choice for U.S. history or Women’s History Month displays [for a U.S. history or Women’s History Month display OR for U.S. history and Women’s History Month displays].”—Booklist, starred review

“A detective foils a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. This expertly paced tale ratchets up the tension as readers learn that Lincoln’s life was in danger as he set out by train to Washington, D.C., for his 1861 presidential inauguration. Anderson adeptly plays with dramatic irony: Readers likely already know that he ultimately made it. But how? Enter Kate Warne, ‘the first female detective in the United States,’ who uncovered a plot to kill Lincoln in Baltimore, his only stop in the South. Organized chronologically, each spread opens like a scrapbook, with pictorial maps of Lincoln’s train route and framed portraits of principal characters and events, all suffused in an ominous, dusky palette. Cleverly, Comport incorporates recurring images of timepieces, matching the sense of suspense layered into Anderson’s text—time is indeed of the essence. A lively, luminous account of a lesser-known woman’s ingenious contribution to presidential history.’ —Kirkus Reviews

“The tight focus on the duration of the inaugural train makes for an urgent, almost thriller-like pace… (the) collage art… is stunning (and) inspired…”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books