Hazel Rochman (Booklist, September 15, 1999 (Vol. 96, No. 2))
Her grandson was Benjamin Banneker, the famous self-taught African American astronomer and mathematician (a biography of Baenneker is also reviewed in this issue); but Molly Bannaky's own life story is just as astonishing. This handsome, large-sized picture book shows her as a woman who was strong enough not only to survive harsh times but also to break new ground. The historical fiction story starts in seventeenth-century Britain, where she is a dairymaid who is saved from the gallows because she can read the Bible. After being extradited to America, she is freed after seven years as an indentured servant. She stakes her claim in the wilderness and buys a slave, Bannaky, to help her. They fall in love, marry (even though it is forbidden by colonial law), build a successful farm, and bear four daughters, one of whom marries an ex-slave and has a son, Benjamin. In the final double-page spread, Molly Bannaky is teaching her grandson to read and write. An afterword fills in the history, but the book's focus is on the big, richly detailed watercolor narrative paintings that combine historical pageantry with close-up portraits of a towering woman and her family. Category: For the Young. 1999, Houghton, $15. Ages 4-9.

Susie Wilde (Children's Literature)
The heroine of Alice McGill's picture book is neither black, nor American. She was a 17th century woman who defied social, racial, and gender prejudice, and was also the grandmother of celebrated African-American scientist and mathematician, Benjamin Banneker. As a young woman, Molly Bannaky committed a minor misdeed and only escaped an English death sentence because she could read and thus became an indentured servant in America. After release, she bought a farm and an African slave, who later became her husband. The introduction of Benjamin Banneker comes at the very end of the story and is a lovely surprise for those who know of him. The illustrations by Soentpiet are realistic and his obvious research and predominately monochromatic watercolors represent the period well. For those who don't know of Banneker, I recommend preceding a reading of Molly Bannaky with the recent paperback, Dear Benjamin Banneker (Harcourt, Ages 6 to 10, $16.00) by Andrea and Brian Pinkney. Scratchboard illustrations and writings filled with quotations give a sense of this man of mixed race who corresponded with Jefferson about social injustice, unraveled mysteries of the skies and seasons and published almanacs to share his knowledge with others. 1999, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 6 to 10.

Jan Lieberman (Children's Literature)
Benjamin Banneker, a respected scientist and mathematician, published an almanac that featured astronomical tables and scientific essays in 1791. What is as fascinating as this almanac is the story of Banneker's grandmother whose story is told in this stunning picture book. In 1683, Molly, a dairymaid accidentally spilled the cow's milk. According to English law, she could be hung. Since she could read the Bible, her life was spared. She was shipped to Maryland as an indentured servant. Seven years later, she won her freedom, a plow, tobacco, and corn seeds to begin a new life. She bought a slave to help her run her farm. They married, which was a shock to the locals because she was white! They raised four daughters, one of whom was Banneker's mother. Soentpiet's paintings glow with humanity. The panoramic scenes leave indelible mind images. 1999, Houghton, $16.00. Ages 8 to 12.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2000)
This unusual slice of U.S. history deals with Molly Walsh, the grandmother of famed African-American astronomer, Benjamin Banneker. In late 17th century England, 17-year-old Molly was accused of stealing milk from her landowner and was thus sentenced to seven years of bondage in the American colonies. At the end of her sentence, she started her own small farm and soon earned enough to enable her to purchase an African slave to help her, palnning to set him free once her land was cleared. He told her his name was Bannaky. Molly and Bannaky soon fell in love, married, and raised a family. The story of their success is carried through through the next two generations, as Molly lived long enough to teach her eldest grandson, Benjamin Banneker, to read and write English, and to tell him what she knew of his grandfather's life in Africa. The dramatic realisitic watercolor paintings frequently use fire, candlelight or the setting sun as a light source in this 13 1/2 x 9 3/4" volume. CCBC categories: Historical People, Places and Events. 1999, Houghton Mifflin, 32 pages, $16.00. Ages 7-11.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1999)
A sneeze and a cow kicking over the milk launches this true tale of a 17-year-old dairymaid in England in 1683; Molly was subsequently accused of stealing her lordship's milk and brought before a court. Sentenced to seven years of bondage in America, she then struck out on her own, staked a claim and raised tobacco. She bought an African slave named Bannaky, who taught her about irrigation and crop rotation; when they fell in love, she freed him so that they could be legally married. Molly eventually taught her grandson, the famed Benjamin Banneker, how to read and write. McGill's telling is fine and sure, except for an unwieldy flashback in the beginning that explains a previous spilling of milk. Soentpiet adds to the drama of the story with bold, atmospheric paintings. The problem comes in the matching of text to art; the pacing, for children, is horrible at first, with a scene of Molly facing a courtroom of stone-faced men before she has even spilled the milk (the text to gets the courtroom mid-paragraph). Later, the scene of her working for someone else with two oxen is too similar to her striking out on her own with one ox; the scene of her realizing she can't manage on her own shows several other people working alongside her. These don't destroy the suspense, but will compromise the accessibility of the story for children. 1999, Houghton Mifflin, $15.00. © 1999 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

E. Fox (Parent Council Volume 7)
Alice McGill writes about the unusual ancestry of Benjamin Banneker, a Black American scientist and mathematician who helped plan the city of Washington, D.C. The story follows the path of Banneker's English grandmother who crossed the ocean to America as an indentured servant. His grandfather was a slave whom his grandmother bought, set free, and then married. The focus is on the family's unique background and the accomplishments of a long line of Bannekers. Vibrant illustrations accompany the text. 1999, Houghton Mifflin Children's Books, $16.00. Ages 5 to 10.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October 1999 (Vol. 53, No. 2))
Servant Molly Walsh had the misfortune to milk an ornery cow; she spilled a pail of milk, and for her “theft” was deported to the American colonies as an indentured servant. After serving her seven years, she staked claim to a farm, and when it proved too much to handle alone, she bought an African slave named Bannaky, whose knowledge about agriculture and irrigation practices helped Molly’s farm succeed. The two fell in love, Molly signed Bannaky’s freedom papers, and they were married, despite colonial laws forbidding their union. Their eldest daughter, Mary, also married a freed African slave, and their son was the highly regarded scientist and mathematician, Benjamin Banneker. The serendipitous events of Molly Walsh Bannaky’s life as fictionalized here are engaging enough to maintain interest without sensationalism. McGill tells this tale in an informed, observant voice that weaves together the chance encounters and quirks of fate into a satisfying revelation. The writing is descriptive but spare, the implied emotions more resonant echoes than obvious pronouncements. Soentpiet’s watercolors use the contrasting play of light and dark to cast the figures in this family drama in bold relief. The compositions, in arrangements reminiscent of historical tableaux, have a weighty, monumental feel to them; the expressions are sometimes awkwardly articulated, but the impact is still strong. A historical note is appended. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 1999, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1999, Houghton, 32p, $16.00. Grades 3-7.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2000)
This fictionalized biography traces Molly Bannaky's life from indentured servant to Maryland land owner--including her marriage to the African slave she bought and freed. The story ends somewhat abruptly with a brief mention that Molly's grandson was Benjamin Banneker; an author's note, however, provides information on the African-American inventor. Dramatic full-page illustrations will draw readers in. Category: Picture Books. 1999, Houghton, 32pp, $15.00. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Susan Carruth (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 12, No. 3))
MOLLY BANNAKY is a fictionalized account of a remarkable woman and her courage, determination, and vision. She is a dairy maid born in England. A pail of milk is accidentally spilled, and she is to be put to death. However, she is capable of reading the Bible, so her life is spared. At the age of seventeen, she is exiled from England and becomes an indentured servant for a Maryland farmer. At the end of her seven years as an indentured servant, she stakes out land and becomes a farmer. She eventually marries Bannaky, and they have four daughters. She is very proud to have a grandson born to her eldest daughter. His name is Benjamin Bannaker, who becomes a famous scientist and mathematician. Fiction. Grades 3-5. 1999, Houghton Mifflin, Unpaged, $16.00. Ages 8 to 11.