Spy Called James: The True Story of James Lafayette, Revolutionary War Double Agent

Description: Told for the first time in picture book form is the true story of James Armistead Lafayettea slave who spied for George Washington's army during the American Revolution, and whose personal fight for freedom began with America's liberation.

Brief description: Floyd Cooper (1956-2021) was a Coretta Scott King Award winner and illustrator of numerous books for children including Ruth and the Green Book, A Spy Called James, and Max and the Tag-Along Moon. Unspeakable, one of his final picture books, was a National Book Award longlist title, a Sibert Honor book, and a Caldecott Honor book. He received a degree in fine arts from the University of Oklahoma and went on to develop a distinctive art technique called oil erasure.

Review Quotes:

"Rockwell's detailed yet accessible text is perfectly matched with Cooper's exceptional oil paintings. . . . A profoundly successful work."--starred, School Library Journal