Runaway is a powerful, lyrical OwnVoices picture book about the enslavement of Ona Judge and her self-emancipation from George Washingtons household.

Ona Judge was enslaved by the Washingtons, and served the President’s wife, Martha. Ona was widely known for her excellent skills as a seamstress, and was raised alongside Washingtons grandchildren. Indeed, she was frequently mistaken for his granddaughter. This biography follows her childhood and adolescence until she decides to run away.

This book doesnt shy away from the horrors of slavery, nor the complex role of house servants. Author Ray Anthony Shepard implicates the reader in Onas decision to emancipate herself by using a rhetorical refrain, Why you run, Ona Judge? This haunting meditation welcomes meaningful and necessary conversation among readers. Illustrator Keith Malletts rich paintings include fabric collage and add further feeling and majesty to Onas daring escape.

• Author: Ray Anthony Shepard
• Illustrator: Keith Mallett
• Dimensions: 8.82 x 0.35 x 11.35 inches
• Age: 3 years – 6 years and up
• Pages: 40