When Paul Revere Rode: Voices from the First Night of the American Revolution

Poems, prose, and dramatic art show how ordinary people, as well as famous ones, played vital roles during the night of Paul Revere's ride and the beginning of the American Revolution, in this picture book for ages 7-10.

Here is the thrilling account of Paul Revere's midnight ride to warn colonists in the towns of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, that the British were coming. Brief narrative text and poems written from the point of view of ordinary people who took part in this historic event make this a unique picture book. Readers will meet:

• the stable boy who raced to Paul Revere to deliver the news that the British soldiers were ready to march
• a woman who told British soldiers pounding on her door that she was merely preparing a cup of tea for her husband, when in fact they were melting pewter spoons into bullets
• an enslaved man who was woken in the middle of the night to alert the Lincoln blacksmith that the British soldiers were marching
• and many more, including one poem in the voice of Paul Revere himself

When Paul Revere Rode is a lyrical nonfiction deep dive into a critical turning point in US history. Sarah L. Thomson's engaging verse and Nik Henderson's dynamic illustrations will sweep young readers ages 7-10 off on the dramatic horseback journey that kickstarted the American Revolution.

Author: Sarah L. Thomson
Publisher: Calkins Creek Books
Published: 03/17/2026
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 11.10h x 9.30w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781662681387
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2026
Booklist 02/01/2026
School Library Journal 11/01/2025 pg. 108

About the Author
Sarah L. Thomson has written everything from picture books to young adult novels. The Dragon's Son, a young adult novel, was a JLG selection, earned two starred reviews, and was on VOYA's Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror list; Dragon's Egg was a JLG selection and a Maine Lupine Award winner. Her picture books include What Lincoln Said illustrated by James Ransome, among many others. She lives in Portland, Maine.

Nik Henderson is a children's book illustrator and visual development artist with a degree in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. His titles include Trucks on Trucks by Sorche Fairbank, Granny Rex by Kurtis Scaletta, and Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera by Deborah Hopkinson, which earned three starred reviews. He currently resides in Strafford, Missouri.